Changing Lives
by AJsRandom
Summary: The sequel to "Change of Heart." As the couples M/M and A/G grow closer together, dark forces known and unknown work behind the scene to undermine Camelot and all it stands for. Their lives will change dramatically, for better and for worse. Pairings- Mergana and some Arwen.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is the sequel to _Change of Heart_! The rest of the story needs to be finished and edited, but I wanted to give y'all a bit as a Christmas present. Thanks for stopping by! :)**

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><p>"Your Highness, may I have a word?" a voice said behind him.<p>

Prince (Regent) Arthur Pendragon sighed and barely refrained from rubbing his face with his hand. In the two days since he'd officially taken on the Regent role (chore), he'd had more unwanted conversations than he'd ever dreamed. And most of them were shockingly personal. At least they felt that way. He turned to face Lord Something or Other, who'd followed him out of the council meeting. "Yes?"

"When will we hold the ceremony? You didn't specify . . ." the unnamed Lord asked.

Arthur held back another sigh. "That's right. I didn't. Not until the other provision is met. It's perfectly legal and it _will_ happen. Don't force me take this to my father." The council decided they'd accept the men he'd knighted before taking back Camelot a month ago, but they (the council) wanted an official ceremony. He had no problem with that. He _did_ have a problem with how they wouldn't agree to ennoble Guinevere. Her brother's elevation also elevated _her_, but they kept fighting him on it.

The councilor paled. These days, Uther tended to automatically agree with whatever Arthur proposed to him. He also tended to deal out unusual punishment to those who didn't agree with him, though Arthur _almost_ always stopped it beforehand. "Ah, yes. I'll speak with the others again before the next meeting. Thank you sire." He turned and scurried away to begin his task.

_Well, if that doesn't work, maybe I can get Merlin or Morgana to "change" their minds_. If they even could, which he didn't know. And would they even do it if asked? It seemed kind of unethical, now that he thought about it.

The last six weeks had been harrowing, at the very least. There'd been one surprise after another, and he hadn't had any time between them to recover. And that was _before_ his father's mental health declined, his best friends confessed their magic and the captured sorceress escaped. Despite an _extensive_ investigation, neither Morgause nor her liberator had been found. As worrisome as that was, there were other, more immediate problems on his mind. Like getting Camelot rebuilt after the occupation or changing the council's mind so he could _officially_ court Guinevere.

Now, _where_ were his servant and his half-sister? It was nearly lunchtime and he was _hungry_.

xxxXxxx

Merlin and Morgana were sitting on a bench in the castle garden. They were _supposedly_ having a magic lesson, but kept getting distracted by each other. Currently, they were connected at their lips and hands roamed from backs to hair. Now that they'd finally admitted their feeling for each other, they were usually together. Unless Merlin's chores or others' prying eyes kept them apart.

They broke apart and rested their foreheads together. "We're supposed to be practicing magic," Merlin said, still trying to catch his breath.

"I know," Morgana replied. "Here, I'll try the last one again." She cupped her hands and whispered, "_Blóstmá_." A lavender-colored rose appeared in her hands.

"_Lavender_?" Merlin asked.

"It means _enchantment_. Appropriate, don't you think?"

"You're enchanted with me?"

"Of course. But it was also created _by_ magic _for_ an enchanter."

"Oh, I get it." He gave her a quick kiss. "Clever. Now let's take it a step further." He took the rose from her hand and whispered, "_Blóstmá fágette_." The rose's color changed to a royal blue.

"Blue? Oh that's just not natural." She sniffed it. "But it still smells the same, _and_ it's gorgeous."

"Well thanks. But we'd probably change it back to something more normal." He gave the rose back to her.

"Okay, what was the spell again?"

"Blóstmá fágette. And you have to think the color."

"All right. _Blóstmá fágette_." The rose stayed blue. "It's still blue? What did I do wrong?"

"Did you think of the color?" She nodded. "_While_ saying the spell?"

Her head fell to her chest. "Ooops. I'll try it again then. _Blóstmá fágette_." This time the rose turned pink, the color on one of the bushes in the garden.

Just then the outside door banged open and an irritated Arthur stepped through. "There you are! It's past time for lunch. Looks like my stables need mucking out again—fetch my lunch to my chambers then you can get to that." He looked beyond his wayward servant and spotted Morgana. "Oh, hello Morgana. Having a good day?" He winked at her.

Merlin rolled his eyes and stood. "As you wish, your High and Mightyness." He gave the Prince a florid bow and strode past him, into the castle.

Arthur glared after Merlin. "Well that was rude."

Morgana just laughed. "You deserved it."

"He's starting to rub off on you."

"Oh, I don't need his help to insult you. I was doing it long before he came here."

"True."

"We were having a nice time out here before you interrupted us."

"Just stop right there. I don't want to know."

The Lady laughed again. "Walk me to my chambers?"

"Of course."

xxxXxxx

Off in another country, an angry King sat on his throne, waiting. He tapped his fingers on the arms of his throne until the doors to the room opened. A tall man with dirty blond hair entered and bowed to the King. "Well?" the King demanded.

"She has shown little sign of progress, My Lord," the man, a sorcerer of middling talent, said.

The King slammed both fists down on the chair's arms. "Then why am I bothering to pay you?"

"My Lord," the sorcerer tried, "she suffered extreme trauma to her head. Her brain itself was injured. It's a delicate organ; if anything goes wrong in the healing process, she could die or worse."

"What could be worse than death?" the King snapped impatiently.

"Her body could live while her mind dies."

The King shuddered. "Would enlisting the aid of more healers help?"

"Perhaps. I know of some. One in particular hates the Pendragons almost as much as we do."

"Perfect. Make sure they are contacted."

"Yes, My Lord."

"You are dismissed." The blond sorcerer left.

"That one is barely trustworthy," said a man standing to the left of the King.

"True. But he has important knowledge. A possible key to end Camelot. And if he and the others can save _her_ . . ."

"He'll be well worth the trouble. I see."

"Have you received an inquiry yet?"

"Not yet. But any that come to my manor while I'm away would certainly be brought here."

"When do you go back?"

"Soon. After all, if I am to leave my manor for a longer period than this, I have several things to put in order." The man smirked.

"True. Will you need any further assistance from me?"

"No, I don't think so. But you'll let me know when she's well?"

"Of course. She's quite critical to our plan. And we'll both need the information only you will be able to provide."

The man chuckled darkly. "I'll play my part."

"Do be sure to convey my sincere condolences, when it's time."

"Of course, My Lord. I'll make sure he knows." The man bowed to the King. "Good day, sire."

"Good day."

xxxXxxx

Time passed. Uther's condition hadn't improved. He spoke less and less every day. He never acknowledged Morgana when she visited, which she understood, but it still hurt her.

Arthur's ploy with the council worked, and the four men he knighted that night of the first Round Table meeting were re-knighted. There was a ceremony and a grand feast to celebrate. Gwen was ennobled at the same time. Though Morgana was sad to lose her, she was happy to see her maidservant promoted thus. At last she had an equal she could actually stand to spend time with. And as a special favor to Arthur, Gwen looked after Uther. No matter how much Arthur insisted she shouldn't work, but come live in the castle like a proper lady, she wouldn't. She stayed in her little home, cared for the King and performed other charity work with Morgana.

Merlin's life stayed pretty much the same. He toiled away for Arthur, but the Prince Regent was listening to him more often. To keep things balanced, Merlin insulted him twice as much. Arthur was under a lot more stress these days, so Merlin listened to him vent a lot more too. What spare time he had was mostly spent with Morgana. Their official unofficial courting brought them closer together. Arthur was a little more generous in giving his servant free time, mostly so his sister wouldn't get angry and turn him into a toad.

And the Prince Regent gradually grew into his new role. To have another ally on the council, he wrote his uncle, his mother's brother, Agravaine De Bois. The older man had written shortly after he'd heard about Uther's health and offered his help, if needed. He was expected at Camelot in the next few days and would function as an advisor and council member.

But Morgause stayed at the back of Arthur's, Merlin's and Morgana's minds. Though knights were sent now and then to enquire after her or follow up on rumors they'd heard, nothing was found. Whoever had taken her from Camelot had planned very well and had probably used magic to get in and out. At least that's what the resident magic users thought, and Arthur was inclined to agree.

They didn't know if she was alive or dead, and if alive, what condition she was in. Because if she could, she would act against them. And she knew many other sorcerers of varying talents. She had influence in the courts of several kingdoms. Any one of them could be helping her. If they hated Camelot as much as she did, they were in trouble. Because she'd get her revenge, one way or another.

xxxXxxx

Six months after Morgause's takeover, Camelot had almost completely recovered. The people talked and laughed in the streets. The children played and roamed the town as carefree as ever. The servants in the castle gossiped and worked as hard as ever. But Arthur and his two secret magic users, plus Gaius, met in Arthur's chambers. _My magical privy council_, Arthur thought.

"There's no sign of her anywhere," Arthur reiterated. "Nothing. Either she's dead or ensconced somewhere so thoroughly we'll never find her."

"I'm going to assume she's alive until I hear otherwise," Merlin stated, "and we should prepare accordingly."

"How do we do that?" Arthur asked.

"Magical defense. Obviously," Morgana added.

"About that . . . Gaius, do you have any idea how that was done _before_ the Purge?"

"I know a little, but Sire, I wasn't the Court Sorcerer. That was Nimueh."

"And she's dead. Which means any protection died with her," Merlin said.

"How do you know that?" the Prince asked.

"Because I killed her."

"Oh. You forgot to mention that before."

"No, I'm pretty sure I told you. The Questing Beast mess, remember?" Morgana smirked at that point.

"I was asleep for most of that, _remember_?"

"_Boys!_ Please. Magical defenses. I can help," Gaius interrupted.

Arthur cleared his throat and glared at Merlin. "Of course Gaius. Please continue."

"Nimueh would have set up different kinds of wards, especially around every public and hidden entrance into the citadel."

"What kind?" Morgana asked. Everyone looked at her. "_What?_ Morgause taught me _some_ things. We moved around and cast and re-cast the same wards over and over."

"That's great Morgana!" Merlin squeezed her hand.

Gaius smiled. "Small shields, but very particular. For example, they might detect and block anyone with ill-intent toward Camelot. Or send a physical or mental alarm so the perpetrator wouldn't know they'd been detected. These don't drain the caster too much."

"That sounds pretty useful," Arthur mused. "Merlin and Morgana could put them at all the town gates, castle doors and hidden and secret entrances." He looked at the two of them.

"Of course," Morgana said. Merlin nodded. "I can finally teach _Merlin_ something." She smirked at him.

"Hey," he said, feigning offense. "You've taught me plenty." He put a hand on her face.

"And _that's_ more than I needed to know," Arthur said.

"There may be helpful items in the castle vaults," Gaius added. If you're not opposed to using them."

"I'm not. How long has it been since an inventory has been done?"

Gaius frowned. "A few years after the purge started, when the influx of new items slowed."

"Great." Arthur rolled his eyes. "Would you and Merlin create a new inventory? Find the old one and update it."

"Wonderful, another delightful chore to add to my list," Merlin complained.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I'll make sure you have the time. And Morgana can help, if she wants?" He looked at the Lady, who nodded. "Bring Gwen in too, if needed." Merlin nodded. "Morgana, you know the wards to cast?"

"Yes. I'll probably need Merlin's help to sustain them though."

"Of course," the warlock agreed.

"All right." Arthur clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "You all have your marching orders then. If you run into anything we didn't consider, let me know." The other three nodded at him, and stood. "See you all later."

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this bit- the rest will be coming soon, barring any traumatic life experiences. HappyMerry Christmas to everyone! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! I am _so_ surprised by the response to the first chapter! Thanks for all your faves, follows and reviews! I'm glad to see many of my old reviewers and happy to have new ones! :) Review replies:**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Thank you! Things will _definitely_ get interesting; pretty soon too.**

**MerlinMorgana1579- I'm thrilled that you like it so far! Hopefully this is soon enough.**

**sjritts- Thank you! I'm happy to finally be publishing this. Happy New Year!**

**mersan123- You're welcome! :)**

**Mike3207- Yeah, Uther is probably the most pitiful character, but I'm not changing his fate. I agree about Agravaine though, and that makes me reconsider something I already wrote. Thanks!**

**Time Lordess- Thank you! Happy New Year to you!**

**Patiku- I've been trying to work in a promotion for Merlin the whole story, and I'm almost done. But I do have plenty of revising to do yet! :)**

**Renaissancebooklover108- Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy my little fic.**

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><p>Morgause sat in her chamber at Odin's castle. Her fortune had changed vastly since her thwarted takeover of Camelot. Her own sister had betrayed her, and for what? The love of a mere servant? A half-mad king? Her arrogant, uncaring half-brother? It didn't make much sense.<p>

Her recovery had been long and hard. A single healer had made no progress in healing her mind. She had remained in the coma until that slimy snake Alvarr had found a truly gifted healer, an ex-druid named Ruadan. It still took the healers several months to bring her out of the coma, but they'd succeeded. She suffered a few ill-effects though—a scarred face and weakness in her limbs. She couldn't exert herself for very long before her muscles gave out. Fortunately her intellect hadn't suffered in the slightest.

When she awoke a month ago, Alvarr told her everything that had happened since Morgana had nearly killed her. He'd been ordered by King Odin, who'd taken him in a couple of years earlier, to steal Morgause from Camelot. Odin figured she'd be very helpful in his vendetta against Camelot in general, and Prince Arthur in particular. She'd learned that Arthur had murdered Odin's son and that previous attempts on Arthur's life had been unsuccessful.

Alvarr also had good reason to hate Camelot. Uther had murdered his family. Ruadan had a similar story, and both men had broken with the Druid way. They felt the druids were too passive; peace got them nowhere. Both men would love to tear Camelot down and murder Uther in his bed. While Morgause agreed with the sentiment, that particular plan lacked the finesse required for success. That's why she was needed.

The sorceress turned her mind back to her sister. Morgana had been so willing to take down Uther, even without the influence of the bracelet's spell. He'd made her fear for her life and persecuted others like her. And after she'd been betrayed by that servant, she was even more willing to destroy her former home. _When had she been freed from that spell?_ She'd given no hint of it until their fight that horrible day. It must have been that servant who'd revealed himself as a sorcerer. He must be more powerful than he appeared, or know someone powerful enough to have figured out the spell and turned Morgana. He'd have to suffer.

Morgana had had great potential as a seer and sorceress. Together they could have conquered all of Albion, maybe more. But now that she'd turned her back on Morgause, that was no longer possible. Morgause would have to settle for her original plan of revenge on Camelot and Uther. And if she had Odin's wealth, Alvarr's devotion and their asset in Camelot behind her, it shouldn't be too hard.

Already a plan had formed in her mind. It required a sacrifice, but she had someone in mind for that. Their loss wouldn't amount to much in the long run, especially compared to the potential for devastation. It would be very sweet indeed. _See what happens to those you love when you betray me, sister_.

Morgause turned to the maidservant who'd been assigned to her. "Please request an audience with the King for me." The maid nodded and left the room.

xxxXxxx

Merlin rolled his eyes at the mess he held in his hands. The vaults' previous inventory was several pages long, dusty and the ink was faded. Not to mention the handwriting of whoever had written it was terrible. Deciphering this would be _so_ much fun. _Maybe there was something he could do to make it easier_? He thought for a minute, made sure he was alone and whispered, "_Edníwe þære cartena blæce_." The _ink_ on the paper darkened and could now be easily read; the handwriting was still bad. He grinned to himself and kept walking toward the voices he'd heard ahead of him.

The door to the vaults sat open; Gaius and Morgana stood just inside. "Ah, there you are Merlin. Is that the inventory?" the physician asked, indicating the sheaf of papers Merlin held.

"Yep. And now you can actually read them, thanks to me," he replied.

Gaius gently whacked the back of Merlin's head. "That's enough cheek out of you." He took the papers from his ward and looked them over. "All right. I suppose we should each take a page or two and check off the objects. Then we should mark them so we can easily identify what's new."

"What if we left a small piece of paper in front of the object?" Morgana suggested.

"That should work just fine," Gaius decided. "No breezes down here to blow them away." Morgana smirked at Merlin.

"Oh, I'll get you for that smirk later," the warlock said.

"Children," Gaius interrupted. "We have a job to do. Now here." He passed pages to the two younger people. "Now get to work. And _try_ to not distract each other." He gave them The Eyebrow to make sure they got the point.

"Yes sir." Merlin gave his mentor a flashy salute and looked down at his paper. "Fun! A hunting we will go . . ." And with that, the three magicians went about their task.

xxxXxxx

Arthur sat in the throne room, nearly bored out of his skull. This afternoon was one set apart for the King, or his designated replacement, to hear petitions from the nobility. Petitions from the peasantry were on a different day, but were generally more interesting. Complaints from the nobility usually involved petty, ego-driven disputes. Maybe Gwaine was right about nobility being defined by one's actions. Because their _words_ were just _mean_. The only thing providing him with a bit of relief was Guinevere's presence at his left side.

He cut off the Lady in front of him. "So what you're saying is that you agreed with the seamstress to make only _one_ dress of a particular design, but you say that she has made another for Lady So-and-So?"

"Yes. And when I complained, she apologized and said she had to make money somehow, and Lady So-and-So had loved mine!"

"Shouldn't you be pleased that she liked yours well enough to ask for it to be made for her?"

"Yes, but . . ."

"And you only had a verbal agreement with the seamstress; nothing was written down?"

"That's right."

The Prince rolled his eyes. "Then I'm afraid your complaint is for nothing. The seamstress _does_ have to feed her family, and you should really be flattered that Lady So-and-So liked your design. You _did_ come up with the design, right?"

The Lady's face lost its angry look as she realized the compliment. "That's right. Thank you sire." She curtsied and turned to leave the room.

Arthur sighed and said, "Next."

Sir Leon had just entered the room and walked up to the Prince. "Sire, Lord Agravaine has just arrived and is waiting to speak with you."

"Send him in!" Arthur said, pleased. At last his mother's brother, his only living uncle, was here. And at the very least, his arrival would relieve the monotony of the long afternoon.

A middle-aged man of average height and dark hair walked into the room. He stopped a few feet in front of Arthur and bowed. "Your Highness. _Arthur_," he said.

The Prince stood and walked to his uncle. Clasping his arm, he said, "Uncle Agravaine. Good to see you. It's been too long."

"Indeed it has. Now, what can I do to best serve you?"

Arthur introduced Guinevere then decided their discussion would be best held in private. They went to the council chambers, where Arthur explained the role and duties he'd thought up for his uncle. His authority would be beneath the King's and Prince's, about equal to Sir Leon's. His most important duty was advisor, but he'd also serve to strengthen Arthur's position and views within the council. The Prince was grateful for a mentor who was older and more worldly to help him learn how to rule. He felt he'd be able to handle being Regent now.

xxxXxxx

King Odin visited Morgause in her chambers since she was still too weak to travel very far. He was fairly enthused that she already had a plan to waste Camelot. Rescuing her from there was turning out to be one of the best decisions he'd made. He knocked on her door and entered her chambers.

"Morgause, you look well," he told her.

"That's a lie, but I'll let it pass as you are a gracious host," she replied.

"I see. So you have a plan to share with me?"

"Indeed. It will require me to sacrifice Alvarr, but I think you will not be heartbroken by that."

"Not at all. The man crawled from the bottom of a pond."

Morgause chuckled. "Exactly so. I'll travel with him to the Isle of the blessed, and on midnight at Samhain, I'll use him to unleash a plague upon Camelot, the likes of which they've never seen."

Odin couldn't help his shudder. "Dare I ask what it is?"

"The veil that separates our world from the world of the dead will be torn and spirits released. They will kill on contact and there is no defense against them. Camelot is doomed."

"Will this affect my kingdom at all?"

"Perhaps along the border with Camelot. But I would not worry, especially after I return."

"Good to know. So you will travel rather soon then."

"Yes. And if we're very fortunate, their Prince will choose to sacrifice himself to heal the tear. He will die and Camelot will be ripe for the picking. _Your_ picking, of course."

"Why Morgause, how generous you are! Do let me know what you need to make your journey comfortable."

"Don't worry Odin, I will. And now it's time to inform Camelot that I still live."

xxxXxxx

"Is he gone?"

"I think so; I haven't seen him for several minutes."

"What a relief," Merlin said. He pulled Morgana behind a shelf laden with dusty objects. They were at the back wall of the large room and the warlock had decided they could use a break. But before he could tilt his head down to Morgana's, she covered her mouth with her hand.

"We're supposed to be working!" she said, muffled by her hand.

"I need a break, and there's this beautiful woman here I can spend it with . . ."

She cut him off. "Oh all right. Just a few minutes. Besides, we'll be together tonight, casting wards. Remember?"

"Mmm," Merlin mumbled before he brought their mouths together. He wrapped his hands around her waist to pull her closer. She slid her hands up his chest and neck then threaded them in his hair. No more words were exchanged for a while.

She maneuvered them until Merlin's back was against the wall and Morgana had practically glued herself to him. Somewhere in his mind he thought, _she's pushing the line again_. The thought flew away as her hand drifted to his waist and started to slide under his tunic. He moaned and broke away to breathe. She pulled his head back down with her other hand then bit lightly on his bottom lip so he'd open his mouth. He was surprised, but complied, and her tongue slid in.

They were so involved in their "break" that they didn't hear footsteps gradually moving closer. Gaius had to clear his throat to get their attention. He wanted to laugh at how quickly the two young people jumped apart, but refrained.

"I take this little, ah, interlude, to mean you're both done with your lists?" Gaius asked.

Merlin scratched the back of his neck and attempted to look anywhere but at his mentor. "Ah, not exactly?"

"Is that a question or an answer?"

"Both?"

Gaius looked at Morgana, who'd just now found her shoes to be very interesting. She jumped when Gaius spoke to her. "And you, young lady?"

"I've got half a page left." Her eyes flicked up to Gaius before moving to a pile of scattered parchments on the floor.

"Do you two think you can make it through the rest of your lists without your hormones getting in the way again?"

"Yes Gaius," they said together. He watched their eyes flick toward each other and away again before they moved out of the corner they'd backed themselves into.

The old physician sighed. If he was in charge he'd let them be around each other as much as they wanted. They obviously made each other very happy. But as long as Uther had eyes and ears around the palace he'd have to police them. Not an enjoyable task, but a necessary one.

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><p><strong>Next up- More hijinks from the bad and good guys. Hee hee hee! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Happy New Year! Here's Chapter 3, and since I forgot to state this before, I'll do it now- I don't own Merlin. If I did, oooooh boy. Review replies:**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Yeah, I thought _hey, Morgause hates Camelot, Odin hates Arthur, boom!_ Match made in, um, heck. LOL!**

**sjritts- Oh yes, I love hijinks too. Spell-check hates it though. :) My family and I cheered when Agravaine died, LOL! Best moment _ever_.**

**MerlinMorgana1579- I hate-d Morgause too, maybe I'll kill her. :) No comment about Lance, except, he's _hot_. I'm glad you like my Mergana!**

**Time Lordess- LOL Gaius the party pooper, huh? I'd just leave too. :) I quite liked creating the petty Lady, I'm glad you liked her and Mergana!**

**Patiku- Oh, Mergana will abound. They're my alpha couple lol. Agravaine, hmm, no comment. And Arthur's learning to trust Merlin more. :)**

**HoRnIe DeMoN- Thank you! You're probably right about the mole, lol. And there will be more Arwen- as I revise I am finding more moments.**

**Mike3207- Silly Morgause depends on her flunkie and ignores the wild cards. And Arthur-Lance, hmmm. I won't say. I'm glad you liked the Mergana. They are "da bomb."**

**Guest- There'll be more Arwen, but they're not my priority. I'll see what I can squeeze in. :)**

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><p>Later, after Guinevere had given him the okay, Arthur took Agravaine to see his father. He'd asked her to tell him when Uther was lucid enough to understand what was going on around him. So with his uncle trailing along behind him, he knocked on his father's door.<p>

Guinevere smiled up at him and stood aside to let the two men in. "He's sitting in his favorite chair and should be fine for a while. Do you want me to stay here?"

Arthur smiled back at her fondly. "Yes, if you don't mind. Just in case he . . ."

"I will stay," she replied, and went to sit at the table where she had a few articles of clothing to mend.

The Prince led Agravaine over to the window where his father sat. Uther didn't look up as the two men sat down. Arthur frowned. "Hello Father, how are you today?" No response. "Well, I've had a pretty good day so far, especially after I received a special guest." Uther looked up at him. "Remember I told you about him? It's my uncle Agravaine, my mother's brother." The King's eyes darted over to Agravaine then back at Arthur. "Don't you want to say 'hello'?"

"Agravaine," Uther said in a voice gravelly from disuse. He nodded at his brother-in-law.

"Uther, old friend. It's good to see you again," Agravaine replied. He held out his hand but dropped it when Uther didn't take it.

"Father, Agravaine is here to help me. He'll advise me on certain matters, but just until you're feeling better."

Uther glared up at Agravaine, but didn't say anything. He nodded at Arthur, showing he understood.

"Is there anything you want to talk about, Father? The council hasn't brought up anything critical lately, and foreign relations are pretty stable. Samhain is coming up in a week or so and the celebration will be the night before, as always. I'd love to have you at the feast, if you feel up to it."

The King shook his head. He looked like he wanted to say something, but shook his head again instead.

Arthur was at a loss. Usually conversations went a _little_ better than this. _He must be thrown off by Agravaine's presence_. "Well Father, I enjoyed our chat. I'll come back again soon, I promise." He put his hands on the chair's arms to propel himself up, but Uther's hand on his stopped him mid-rise.

"Thank you for coming, Arthur."

"My pleasure, Father. Enjoy your evening." Arthur patted his father's hand and stood up. Uther's hand fell away. On impulse, he stooped to kiss his father's head. The smile on Uther's face lit up the room.

Arthur smiled back and turned to leave the room with Agravaine in tow. He smiled and nodded at Guinevere, then left the room. Once the door was behind him, he dropped the smile and leaned against the door. "That seems to get harder every time."

"He really is as bad as you told me. I didn't want to believe it, but . . . well, there it is. I'm so sorry Arthur."

"I'm just glad you're here uncle. Just seeing you has taken a load off my shoulders. You've no idea."

"Oh, I have _some_ idea, Arthur. I'm just glad I came when I did." He smiled and they walked toward the dining room to take supper.

xxxXxxx

After dark and when most of the castle had fallen asleep, Morgana dressed in her dark green cloak and crept down to Gaius's chambers. There she met Merlin, who was preparing to leave with her. They had to place protective wards around Camelot's gates. He wanted to review the spell's pronunciation so he could get it right the first time if they had to incant in a hurry.

"Þurscríð þá heortan hwæt incymaþ hér. Bewere wiðersacan fram infær," Morgana said slowly.

"Þurscríð þá heortan hwæt incymaþ hér. Bewere wiðersacan fram infær. Þurscríð þá heortan hwæt incymaþ hér. Bewere wiðersacan fram infær," Merlin repeated slowly.

"Good. That should do nicely." She squeezed his hand and gave him a light kiss. "Ready to go?"

"Yep." He started toward the door.

She pulled back on his hand. "You're not wearing a cloak?"

"I never have, even when I followed you," he said with a cheeky grin.

She rolled her eyes as he continued to pull her toward the door. Gaius's voice made them pause. "Be careful you two. I know Camelot's guards aren't the greatest, but they can have their 'on' days."

"We will," Merlin replied, and they were out the door.

"We can always put the guards to sleep," Morgana suggested.

"We probably won't have to. They usually already are."

They snuck quietly to the back gate. To Merlin's surprise, the guards there weren't asleep. They hid out of sight and Morgana whispered, "_Swefaþ_." The guards slowly sunk to the ground.

The two sorcerers stood and joined hands, holding out their free hands to the gate and said together, "_Þurscríð þá heortan hwæt incymaþ hér. Bewere wiðersacan fram infær_." The area in and around the gate glowed golden for a few seconds then faded away. They giggled for a few moments then snuck off to the next nearest gate.

They repeated the spell three more times at the other three gates. Only the guards at the main and back gates had had to be put to sleep. They were so drained from the magic and physical energy they'd used that they couldn't do anything for the castle's entrances. That would have to wait until tomorrow night. Merlin walked Morgana to her chamber door.

"Tuck me in?" she asked tiredly, batting her eyes.

"Morgana," he tried for a reproving tone of voice but it came out mostly whiny.

She opened the door and dragged him inside, shutting it behind them. "Ugh. I'm too tired to change." She pulled him over to the bed and they both fell face down on it, side by side.

"I shouldn't be here," he mumbled into the blankets.

"What?" Morgana was also muffled by the blankets, but Merlin guessed what she'd said.

He lifted his head. "I said, I shouldn't be here." His head fell back down.

Morgana rolled to her side. "I dare you to get up and leave then."

Merlin also rolled to his side. "Fine. Get up and I'll tuck you in."

She slowly pushed herself halfway up. Merlin was faster and pulled her all the way up with a groan. He pulled up the covers with practiced hands and helped Morgana lay down before drawing the covers over her. "Mmm," she said, closing her eyes. "Be a love and get the candles, will you?"

"Okay, but first . . ." he sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down to give her a short, sweet kiss. Then he waved his hand to put out all the candles. It was now so totally dark he couldn't see his way out of the room. "Oh stuff it," he decided, and lay back on the bed, on top of the covers, and went to sleep.

When Merlin slowly returned to consciousness several hours later, his first thought was, _this is so very comfortable_. His second thought was, _oh no, not again_. He opened his eyes and saw Morgana curled up next to him. And _then_ he noticed he was _under_ the covers instead of _on top_ of them. He was sure he'd fallen asleep _on top_ of the covers—how did he get _under_ them?

Morgana opened her eyes and smiled at Merlin. He'd slept so soundly he hadn't noticed when she'd woken and pulled the covers out from under him and thrown them over him. She projected the thought to him and he smiled when he realized what she'd done.

"That's sneaky, but I really should g—" She'd stopped him talking by occupying his lips. That continued for a few minutes until they heard footsteps in the corridor outside her room. The couple froze where they were, but the steps passed by the room. "Mmm—" he tried to say her name but she cut him off the same way as before. After a few more moments, he gently pushed her away and slid out of the bed. But he knelt and took her hand. "As much as much as I'd like to stay by your side all day, Milady, I do have other things to do." He kissed the hand he held and her lips before leaving her room.

Morgana sighed. _If only_ he were free to spend all day at her side. _If only_ they could share with the whole world how they felt about each other. _If only_ . . . she mentally slapped herself upside her head. If she "if only-ed" much longer she'd drive herself crazy. She wasn't a particularly patient person- Merlin was helping there -but days like today were agony. It looked like it was time for a mutual "whine" fest with Gwen. If anyone could understand it was her.

xxxXxxx

Three or four days passed before a messenger barged into a closed session of court with important news. The guards at the door surged forward to restrain the interloper, but Arthur recognized him as one of their spies. "Let him tell his story," he ordered. The guards let him go and stepped back to the doors.

Ever since meeting Gwaine, Arthur recognized the value of information that could be collected at taverns, inns and alehouses. He'd sent several men, dressed as ordinarily as possible, to roam those types of establishments around the borders. The goal was to gather useful bits of intelligence. So far, this method had collected several good pieces of information.

This man reported he'd been roaming the northern borders and had heard a disturbing piece of news. Morgause had been seen, traveling with a man, to the west. Her ultimate destination was unknown.

Members of the court began talking amongst themselves, bringing the level of noise in the room up to a dull roar. _So, she's alive_ went through the minds of a handful of people present. When the Prince came back to himself, he called the room to order and began asking individuals for their opinions.

"Sir Leon, I know what I'd like to do, but what's your opinion?"

"Sire, I believe we should send out several small groups of knights to investigate the truth of the report. Those who go should take extreme care, in case they do find the sorceress."

"That's what I was thinking. Gaius, is there any _effective_ way to defend against Morgause?"

"None that I can think of, especially if she's traveling with someone who could also be a sorcerer. The best way to fight magic is to use magic."

_That's not happening_. "Morgana, you know how she thinks. Do you know _what_ she may be doing or _why_?"

"Once she's angry, she tends to hold a grudge. And we made her _very_ angry a few months ago. She will seek revenge for her defeat, and once she has a plan and resources to carry it out, she'll act on it. As to what she's planning, I don't know. She knows a lot about dark magic and _will_ use it."

"Fantastic," Arthur said without enthusiasm. "All right. Court is adjourned for today. Leon, Morgana, Gaius . . . stay here please." He already knew Merlin wouldn't leave. The Prince waited for the rest of the court to clear out before he started the discussion he really wanted to have.

"Arthur, this is bad news. I—" The Prince cut his servant off right there with a pointed look at Leon.

"Leon, would you put together about five or six groups of knights? I'll lead—"

"That's not a good idea, sire," Gaius interrupted, "you're needed here to run the kingdom. Also, if you leave, the people may be more inclined to panic. It would be good to avoid that."

"Argh," Arthur said, and ran both of his hands through his hair, thinking. "You're right. Okay Leon, put the groups together and send them in different directions. Explain everything we've discussed and leave at first light. Be careful out there."

"Sire," Leon replied. He bowed and left.

"All right you three. Any ideas about what she's planning?" He looked at Gaius and Merlin.

Gaius thought for a minute. "Samhain is soon. There are a number of dark rituals she could perform to wreak havoc."

Arthur felt a chill run up his spine. "Is there anything we can do to stop her?"

Gaius shook his head. "We could guess, but we don't have enough time to prepare a defense against every possible ritual."

The Prince looked at Merlin and Morgana. "Are either one of you more powerful than Morgause?"

The two magicians looked at each other. Morgana spoke, "Merlin is. I'm nowhere near him in power or level of training."

"And I haven't had the training Morgause has had. It's a little difficult to come by, what with living in a kingdom where magic is illegal and all," Merlin replied.

Arthur raised an annoyed eyebrow. "Great."

"I think, and the other two probably agree with me, that you're already doing what you can. We'll have to deal with what she does after she's done it. If we don't stop her first," Merlin said. Morgana and Gaius nodded.

"I guess we have no choice," Arthur said. He thought for a moment. "All right. We'll play the 'wait and see' game."

"Don't go crazy from pretending to be patient." Merlin added. He smirked at his friend. Gaius chuckled and left with the younger couple.

"The knights are going to suffer for that comment," Morgana commented.

"Get ready for the injuries to roll in, Gaius," Merlin added.

"Thank you ever so much Merlin. Now, you two will come help me."

"But . . . "

"_Now_."

xxxXxxx

The day before Samhain arrived and there was no word yet on Morgause's whereabouts. That fact weighed heavily on the minds of those in the know. But at least Arthur and Merlin were kept busy by the preparations for the celebration that evening.

It seemed to Merlin as if he'd run through the entire castle in the course of his duties. He managed to bump into several knights, servants and more, which necessitated several apologies. But luckily he got to go through the kitchens to collect Arthur's shirt. That enabled him to nick some food and help Gwaine and Percival do the same. However, his clumsiness got wine spilled on Arthur's shirt.

A slightly depressed Merlin entered the Prince's chambers to find said Prince leaning against his desk, already wearing a shirt. "You're dressed," he said to his master, dismayed. Morgana sat at the table looking like she wanted to beat somebody up. Merlin looked down at the shirt he still held and whispered, "_Fordwin wamm_." The stain cleared up right away and he moved to put it into the wardrobe.

"Yes, Merlin. I'm not an idiot," Arthur replied. He turned around to walk behind his desk. He hadn't managed to pull his shirt all the way through his belt in the back and his skin was showing.

Merlin and Morgana sniggered. "Are you sure about that?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's just that you—"

"_Mer_lin."

"But you—"

Morgana butted in. "What he's _trying_ to tell you is your shirt isn't right in the back."

Arthur turned his head as far as he could and flushed when he saw it. He yanked the shirt into place and turned his back again to ask, "Is it all right now?" When his two friends nodded, he turned at sat at the desk. "I am _trying_ to write a speech."

"Do you want help?" Merlin asked.

"No," Arthur replied. But Morgana smirked at him, which made him reconsider.

"You won't want this, then?" Merlin held up a scroll and Arthur eagerly looked up from his desk. It was so comical that Morgana giggled.

Merlin waved the scroll in the Prince's face. "I spent all night working on it." Arthur gestured for it so Merlin handed it over. He read it with faked skepticism. _Like he'd admit it was any good_. "What do you think?"

The Prince handed it back to Merlin. "Needs a polish."

"I'll add it to the list," Merlin said in a mildly condescending matter. He exchanged looks with Morgana and Arthur could swear they were laughing together in their heads.

Arthur tossed aside the speech he'd been working on. "Merlin, there aren't many servants who get the chance to write a prince's speech. Obviously it would be too much for you to say, 'Thank you.'"

Merlin stared indignantly at Arthur for a moment and walked out of the room with Arthur's laundry without deigning to reply. Arthur smiled.

Morgana's next words wiped the smile from his face. "You know, you really shouldn't antagonize a warlock of his power. Who knows? One day you may wake up as a toad."

Arthur's mouth fell open, but he managed to ask, "He wouldn't, would he?"

His sister just smirked.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Next up- <em>The Darkest Hour<em> begins . . . with a couple of twists.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! Here's Chapter 4. I should mention that I shamelessly steal dialog from episode transcripts, but I do change it when I can. :) Review replies:**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Thank you! Hopefully I twisted events well enough, mwah ha ha ha.**

**MerlinMorgana1579- I crack myself up coming up with things- thanks! :)**

**sjritts- I love giving our hero BA moments! I don't think Uther trusts anyone except himself, especially at this point in the series. Hope you like this chapter!**

**Guest- Ah, ok. I misinterpreted you. Good to know! I am finding spaces to squeeze more Arwen in. ;)**

**Lady Flurryous- Ha, I should have written the whine fest in! And you're right, she should be beating up her brother more. I'll see what I can work in.**

**Mike3207- Yes, I agree they should all be able to speak in each others' minds. I'll remember that.**

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><p>Later that day, the usual council session was taking place when they were interrupted by a page. He told them that Sirs Leon and Elyan had just now returned from their patrol and desired to report immediately. He bowed and the doors opened to let in Elyan and Leon as the page left. Arthur and Merlin exchanged worried looks.<p>

Leon spoke first. He told how they'd found Morgause on the Plains of Denaria. Also, she hadn't been alone. A man had been with her, one he'd recognized as Alvarr, who'd stolen the Crystal of Neahtid. They'd also discovered where she was heading – the Seas of Meredor.

Gaius immediately guessed that her final destination was the Isle of the Blessed. One of the centers of the Old Religion and the perfect place to work magic. Agravaine immediately offered to send out patrols at sunrise so they could hopefully catch her. Leon spoke again, to give his final bit of bad news. Morgause had killed two knights with magic; that meant her powers were still strong despite her injuries.

There was a moment of silence before Arthur next spoke. He asked Leon to keep him apprised of any new developments then dismissed the knights and councilmen. Agravaine and Merlin remained behind. "For months, nothing. Why now?" he asked.

"We knew she couldn't stay hidden forever. Today, tomorrow, what does it matter? Mustn't live in fear, Arthur. Camelot is strong. If Morgause were to act, we'd be ready for her," Agravaine replied.

"You're right, of course. Thank you, Uncle."

"I made a promise to your mother. I'll always be there for you."

Arthur nodded with a smile and left the room. Merlin trailed behind him, thinking. Something about Agravaine bothered him, but he couldn't figure out _what_ or _why_. Arthur's uncle had been helpful since he'd arrived. He was courteous and seemed to get along with the resident nobility and servants. Maybe he was a little too polished and eager to please, but that wasn't necessarily _wrong_. He'd talk to Morgana and Gaius about him later.

xxxXxxx

Much later in the day, lords and ladies, knights and royalty gathered in the banquet hall for the Samhain feast. They ate, drank and laughed the night away. Arthur and Agravaine sat on either side of the King's empty chair, with Morgana at Arthur's right. At two minutes 'til midnight, Arthur stood to give Merlin's "polished up" speech. The laughter died down quickly.

"Samhain. It is the time of year when we feel closest to the spirits of our ancestors. It is a time to remember those we have lost to celebrate their passing." Arthur raised his glass in a toast. "To the king."

Everyone stood to toast as the bell tolled. Merlin, standing across the hall from his friends, sensed a powerful wave of magic. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he glanced at Morgana. She had a shocked look on her face as she stared back at him, apparently experiencing the same phenomenon he was. The voices repeating the toast sounded distorted to their ears and their heads swam.

Suddenly Merlin saw a figure appear in the middle of the hall. She was as pale as death and wore a black hooded cloak. The staff in her hand appeared to be holding her up. She looked right at him and whispered, "Emrys. Emrys. Emrys."

In his confusion, Merlin dropped the pitcher he'd been holding, which drew everyone's attention to him. The hall fell silent as they watched the blood drain from his face. They missed the same thing happening to Morgana. They both swooned; Merlin more dramatically because he fell to the floor with no apparent provocation. Lancelot jumped up and ran over to him, Gaius following immediately after. No one but Arthur noticed when Morgana's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she slumped down to the table. Both magicians shivered as if trapped in a snow bank.

Lancelot gently picked up Merlin to carry him to Gaius's chambers. The physician followed him, opening doors when needed. When they reached Merlin's tiny chamber, Lancelot laid the warlock on his bed.

"What happened?" the knight asked.

"I don't know. I've never felt anyone so cold before," Gaius replied. He'd begun examining his ward.

"Will he be all right?"

"I'll need hawthorn to improve the blood flow. And blankets. Lots of blankets." Lancelot left the room to fetch the needed items. Merlin shivered violently in his bed.

Back in the hall, Arthur tried in vain to get Morgana to respond to him. When he touched her, he had to yank his hand away; she felt like ice and was shivering. He held her in place on her chair with one hand as he pushed back her chair with his other. By now others had noticed the Princess's state. When she was away from the table, he bent down and picked her up, bridal style.

"Sire?" Agravaine questioned.

"Morgana's ill. I'm taking her to her chambers. Carry on with the feast." He motioned to Gwen, who was watching, to follow him. She helped him open the door to Morgana's chambers when they got there. When she saw he was headed to the bed, she ran in front of him to turn down the covers. Arthur gently laid her down and drew the covers over her. He turned to Gwen. "Get more blankets and lay them atop her. Also stoke the fire; she needs to warm up." He left the room to run to Gaius's chambers.

Morgana, meanwhile, was dreaming. She was lying on the ground in a dark place. There were shrieks in the background. Suddenly she felt something stroking her face. She opened her eyes to see a pale, deeply sad woman in black standing in between her and a huge swirling mass in the sky. She sat up and addressed the woman. "Who are you?"

"I am the Cailleach, the gatekeeper to the spirit world. Your sister has torn the veil between the worlds." Horrible shrieks echoed from the tear behind her, and Morgana looked at it in terror. "The Dorocha. They are the voices of the dead, my child. And, like the dead, they are numberless." Morgana looked around her and saw the spirits flying about. She was shocked to see Morgause lying close by. "You are right to be afraid, Morgana. Your friends will rue this day and all the destruction it brings, but you must beware. Tearing the veil between the worlds has created a new world, and only a sacrifice will restore the old." She laughed a terrible laugh, full of vengeance but also eternal sadness. Morgana screamed . . .

And the scream woke her. She sat straight up in bed and saw Gwen staring at her with her mouth wide open. It looked like she'd been laying blankets over her. They stared at each other for a few moments before Morgana said, "Sorry I startled you."

"Are you well, Morgana?" Gwen asked.

"I'm fine now. Just a nightmare." She looked around, finally noticing she wasn't where she thought she'd be. "How did I get to my chambers?"

"You fainted at the feast. Arthur carried you up here."

"That explains the tiredness, I guess. Why am I so cold?"

"I don't know."

"Where is Arthur now?"

"I believe he went to Gaius's chambers. Merlin fell ill the same time you did."

Morgana tried to think back to the feast. There had been a powerful wave of magic and _cold_. Merlin had felt it too; she'd seen him across the room. Everything had seemed to slow down, and then the dizziness. _He must have collapsed too_. Well, at least Arthur would find out what had happened to him.

"You should rest, Morgana." Gwen broke into her thoughts.

"I think I will. Thank you." She settled back into the bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. She determined to stay awake until Arthur came back with news. Or give it a valiant effort, at least.

xxxXxxx

Arthur walked into Gaius's chambers without knocking. He found Gaius making tea and Lancelot sitting at Merlin's bedside. "Gaius," he said, to get the physician's attention. He walked toward the fire. "How is he?"

"Weak. But that's not what concerns me. He's incredibly cold, for no reason I can tell," Gaius replied.

"Morgana is much the same. I carried her to her chambers after you left with Merlin. She's freezing; I left her with Gwen and told her to stoke the fire and lay more blankets on her."

"I should go see her."

"Is he out of the woods?" He nodded at Merlin.

"I believe so. He just needs to warm up. I'm going to give him some of this warming tea then take some up to Morgana."

"So you have no idea what caused this to happen to them?"

"None, I'm afraid. Maybe they can provide answers when they wake." Gaius poured the tea into a cup and took it back to Lancelot. He spoke to the knight for a minute or so, then came back to Arthur.

The two men walked to Morgana's chambers, both deep in thought. _What could knock out and nearly freeze two powerful magicians?_ Arthur opened the door and they walked through it to see Morgana propped up in bed and talking to Gwen. He and Gaius walked to Morgana's bedside. "I see you're awake now."

"Yes, after a horrible nightmare," she replied.

"Here, I'll give you some of this warming tea," Gaius said, and picked up a cup from her bedside table to fill it. "How are you feeling?" He handed her the cup.

She sipped some of the tea before she answered. "Tired and _really_ cold. The blankets and fire are helping, but this feels so unnatural."

Arthur sat on the edge of her bed. "Merlin suffered the same thing, but he looks much worse than you." He looked at Gaius to confirm this and the physician nodded.

"He's only semi-conscious. He hasn't said anything, but maybe your nightmare can help us figure out what happened."

She shuddered. "I dreamed I was in a dark place. In front of me was this incredibly sad-looking woman. She wore all black and stood in front of a dark swirly cloud-thing. She said her name was the Cailleach and that Morgause had torn the veil between worlds and released spirits. The _Dorocha_? They'll bring destruction and change the world . . ." she trailed off when she saw Gaius's shocked face.

"That is _not_ good news. But it explains a lot."

"_Why_ did I see her? Did Merlin see her?"

"I suspect he did. One must have great power to see the Cailleach."

"What does it mean?"

"Morgause has released the spirits of the dead into our world. They will kill anyone they touch. And apparently they're on their way here."

"How do we stop them?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not sure they _can_ be stopped. I'll have to do some research, and I should get back to Merlin, if you're feeling all right?"

"I'm feeling okay; probably just need some rest."

"You do that. And don't try to talk to Merlin yet." He gave Morgana The Eyebrow.

"Okay," she said meekly. Gwen squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"Get some rest, Morgana," Arthur said. He got up and walked to the door with Gaius and Gwen.

"Goodnight Morgana," Gaius added.

"Goodnight."

Gaius went to his chambers while Arthur and Gwen headed to the hall to see how the feast was going. Lancelot was still sitting with Merlin, but Gaius told him he could leave. After the knight left, he checked his ward's vital signs again. He'd warmed up a little and he was breathing regularly. His pulse was steady so he left him there and closed the door behind him.

Gaius didn't think he'd be able to sleep, so he went to his worktable to mix a few potions. At least two hours had passed, and he was grinding something when Merlin stepped out of his chamber wearing a blanket. Gaius stopped, came around the table to sit him down then sat next to him.

"When she spoke, her voice . . . it was as though it came from the depths of the earth, and her eyes . . . they were so sad. So much pain in them. Who is she?"

"The Cailleach, the gatekeeper to the spirit world. She also spoke to Morgana in a vision."

"Why was she there?"

"It was on the stroke of midnight of Samhain's Eve, the very moment when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. It cannot be a coincidence."

"Why were we the only ones to see her?"

"You both have great power, Merlin. For magicians so gifted, such visions are not uncommon."

"But you don't understand. It wasn't a vision. She knew who I was. She called me Emrys." Gaius thought for a few moments, looking worried. "What is it? What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure. But Morgause has torn the veil between the worlds and spirits of the dead have been released. God help us all."

xxxXxxx

In the morning, Merlin felt well enough to go back to work. He brought a breakfast tray to Arthur's chambers and sat it on the table noisily while the Prince lazed in bed. Arthur whined his name, but Merlin still opened the curtains. His Highness put a pillow over his face, but that didn't block out the sun _or_ the knock at the door.

The Prince removed the pillow as Leon entered the room. "Excuse me, sire. You're needed in the council chambers as a matter of urgency." He stepped outside to wait in the corridor while Arthur dressed. Leon led them down to the council chambers where they found the council gathered around a crying young woman.

He asked Agravaine what had happened to her. His uncle explained that her village had been attacked by unknown assailants. Arthur approached the weeping woman, noticing that Morgana had slipped into the room behind him.

Her name was Drea; when Arthur came closer she tensed. Morgana walked up to them and put a comforting hand on Drea's shoulder. Arthur told her his name and asked her to tell him what happened. She was able to say, "My mother, my father, my litter sister, they're . . ." before her words dissolved into tears.

Morgana whispered comforting words to her; Drea looked up at her and nodded. Arthur asked who had attacked her family, and her reply was confusing. She said they weren't people but shapes with no faces.

Arthur looked up at a few councilmen, as if they could provide an answer. But no one spoke. "I—I keep telling you. They were there, but . . . they weren't there. They moved so quickly. It was as if they weren't real, but . . . they must've been. I could hear the people screaming. And then . . . silence. They were all . . . dead." She broke down crying then and Morgana turned her so she was held in the Lady's arms.

Morgana thanked her for her trouble while Arthur turned to his uncle. He asked the whereabouts of her village and was told it was to the east of the White Mountains and no more than half a day's hard ride. The Prince then turned to Sir Leon and told him to ready the men.

The knights turned and strode out of the room to prepare. Merlin went back to Arthur's chambers to pack for the Prince. He couldn't help the uneasy feeling that had settled over him.

Merlin hadn't had a chance to talk to Morgana since before the feast, so he tried mind speech. "_Morgana, can you talk?_"

"_I'm going to settle the girl first then go back to my chambers. Wait a few minutes and I'll get back to you_," she replied. Merlin started packing and hadn't gotten far before he heard Morgana. "_All right, I'm free_."

"_How are you doing? I haven't seen you in a while_."

"_I'm all right. But I understand we both saw this Cailleach woman?_"

"_She's the gatekeeper of the dead. But all she said to me was my name, 'Emrys.'_"

"_Oh I had a not-so-lovely vision. She told me what Morgause did and all about these spirits, the Dorocha. It sounds as if that's what killed Drea's family_."

"_Does Arthur know any of this?_"

"_Some, but you should probably tell him everything we know. This is frightening_."

"_I know. But I'll keep us safe, don't worry. We'll come back_."

"_You'd better_."

"_Have I ever lied to you?" _He felt her glare through their link. _"I mean, recently_."

"_No. But come back or I'll find you and kill you_."

"_Even if I'm dead?_"

"_Grrr! Yes, you annoying man! Now get out of here so you can come back faster_."

"_Yes, my love_."

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><p><strong>Next up- the Dorocha rear their ugly little non-heads. *shudder*<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**It's been a loooong week for me, but I survived. Enjoy some action! Review replies:**

**MerlinMorgana1579- Who would trust Agravaine? He's so dodgy-looking. :P And you bring up a good point- Morgana's magic wouldn't work either, and she somehow got to avoid the Dorocha. What the hay?**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Good point, she should have mentioned the sacrifice thing. But it does get mentioned, don't worry.**

**sjritts- Oh yeah, the Dorocha are _super_ creepy, and yeah, I didn't realize that they're undead at this point. Creepy Morgause!**

**Lady Flurryous- Thank you! And OK, I'll have to do the whine fest then. :)**

**Mike3207- Morgause gets a message, just not the same way, don't worry.**

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><p>The uneasy feeling never left Merlin, and the closer they got to the village, the stronger the feeling became. Even Arthur noticed and made a few jokes to try to relax his friend, but nothing seemed to work. They reached the village at dusk; nobody was around.<p>

As they got off their horses and walked into the village, Arthur commented that it was too quiet. Everyone privately agreed. They split up into pairs and began searching the buildings.

Elyan called out after a few minutes. Everyone ran in the direction of his voice, inside one of the houses. They found him staring at corpses that looked _frozen_. They all turned when something blew behind them. After a few nervously murmured words, Arthur got them outside again.

Everyone left the house and began searching the village again, bearing torches. Merlin split off from Lancelot and poked around in a barn, only to be startled by a chicken. He heard a shriek behind him and saw a wisp leave the barn. He left the barn to give chase but lost it soon after. Uneasy in the darkness, he spelled a small light into existence. But it soon started winking out and gradually died. He tried again and the light shone briefly then disappeared. When he tried a third time, nothing happened. Shrieks echoed around him; he turned around to see a wisp heading straight for him. He yelled a spell to chase it away, but nothing happened.

Lancelot yelled, "Merlin!" and stepped in front of him. The knight waved his torch and the wisp dissipated and vanished. He asked Merlin what had happened; still in shock, the warlock told him how his magic had failed.

The other knights had heard the yell and came running. Lancelot told them what he and Merlin had seen and how it had fled when it saw the light. Merlin confirmed that the things couldn't be chased or killed. His explanation was followed by more shrieks.

Gwaine had been near the horses and shared how "it" had scared them. Arthur decided that it was time to go. They ran to the horses and did their best to calm them. He decided to skip camping and just ride through the night. If these things were at Camelot, they'd need all they defenders they could get, and soon.

xxxXxxx

When Arthur's group rode up, Merlin noted the chaos happening around him. He dismounted and headed to where he knew Gaius would be—the makeshift morgue. The physician was pulling a cloth over the face of one the victims when Merlin walked in. Morgana was right behind him. "Gaius," the warlock said.

The physician looked up at him and Morgana walked to Merlin's side. "Merlin," Gaius answered. He took in his ward's freaked-out countenance. "You saw them." Merlin nodded. "Here, help me. Give me some more sheets." Merlin stood still so Morgana moved to do it instead. "Merlin?" Gaius was getting very worried.

Morgana hurried back to Gaius with the sheets and heard Merlin say, "My magic is useless against them. I've tried. I have never felt so powerless. Something deep inside. And when it came for me, I felt this emptiness. I couldn't breathe. I'm scared." Morgana put her arms around him and he leaned his head on her shoulder.

Gaius looked a little lost for a moment, but said, "Merlin, it's all right. It's not your fault." He gave Morgana a significant look that she correctly interpreted as _get him somewhere and make him talk about it_.

Keeping an arm around him, Morgana guided him up to her chambers and sat him on the bed. If Arthur came looking for Merlin and didn't want him to stay, she'd tell the Prince where to go. She sat down next to him and took his hand. He let her, so she decided to try talking. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Merlin looked up at her. "No. Yes. Maybe . . . yes, all right."

"Okay, what happened?"

"We got to the village and there was _nothing_. Well, no people, just animals. It was _so_ quiet. Then we started finding the bodies—they were covered in frost like they'd been _frozen_."

Morgana shuddered. "We've been lucky here."

He nodded. "Then I heard this scream and this wispy _thing_. Like that girl said—they had no faces. I looked for it and made a light so I could see. Then it went out. I tried again and again, but it wouldn't work, Morgana. My magic stopped working in their presence, and one came at me. I couldn't move, but Lancelot drove it away with a torch."

"Oh Merlin." She wrapped her arms around him again and just held him for a few moments before speaking again. "That pretty much describes what happened here. Torches frighten them but don't kill them. People just dropped . . ." _If his magic won't work, mine doesn't have a chance_.

His arms came around her. "Oh Morgana. I've been sitting here whining about what I went through and didn't even think about what you must have gone through here. I'm so sorry." He pulled her closer and started rubbing her back.

She pulled her head back a little and looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. "I know how you can make up for it." She grabbed his head and connected their lips.

He was surprised, but not for long. It felt so nice, to have someone to come home to. Someone who puts aside their needs to take care of yours. Of course _this_ particular activity benefitted _both_ of them. He let himself melt into the kiss, let her relieve the stress he had.

Her hands drifted back to thread into his hair to hold him to her. She started leaning to the side and fell down to the bed and he fell with her, arms still around her. She found everything melt away from her and they pressed even closer together. He shifted his mouth slightly and it felt so lovely she opened her mouth. His tongue touched hers and he moaned and rolled her to her back. He leaned over her slightly to nuzzle her neck. His hand gripped her waist and started to drift up and down her side. She kept one hand in his hair and the other slid down his back. "Mmm," she murmured.

She tried to hook her leg around his to draw him closer, wanting him on top of her. Her efforts succeeded for a few moments before he realized what she was doing and stopped himself. He looked at her with glazed eyes, but managed to shake his head. "_Morgana_," he thought.

She looked up at him, feigning innocence. "_What? You liked it, I know you did_."

"_Of course I did. I _am_ a man, after all_." He sat up and pulled her to sitting. He put a hand to her face and spoke out loud, "Later. Now I think we should go to bed." She gave him a coy look, so he added. "_Separately_, in our _own_ beds. We do actually need to sleep in the few hours left of tonight."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes but got up to head for her changing screen. "Help me with my dress?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"_Morgana_. You're pushing it," he reminded her and headed for the door. "Goodnight."

She swooped over to him for a quick kiss. "Goodnight."

xxxXxxx

By midmorning, Arthur was meeting Agravaine in the latter's chambers. Merlin and Gaius were also there. They were exchanging information from their separate experiences; Gaius was there to answer questions.

"We've suffered fifty dead, maybe more. Mainly in the lower town," Agravaine said.

"And there's no way of fighting them?" Arthur asked.

"No, our only weapons are torches. And the light doesn't kill them, it only repels them."

"At least we know what they are. Gaius?"

"They're Dorocha, My Lord. The spirits of the dead. On Samhain's Eve in the time of the Old Religion, the high priestesses would perform a blood sacrifice and release them."

"But who'd do such a thing now?" Arthur had an idea and wanted him to confirm it.

"Morgause."

"You see her hand in this?" Agravaine asked.

Gaius nodded. "We know she was travelling to the Isle of the Blessed."

"So how do we defeat these creatures?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know, sire. No mortal has ever survived their touch. I'll have to do a bit more research." He thought for a moment. "It would go faster, maybe, if I had Merlin to help me?"

Arthur sighed. "All right. You can have him until dinnertime."

"Thank you sire." Gaius turned to leave.

"And Gaius?" The physician looked back. "Good luck." Gaius nodded and left the room.

Merlin and Gaius searched all day. They didn't find much more beyond what they already knew. Frustrated, and apprehensive of the approaching sunset, Merlin left to attend Arthur.

After dinner, Merlin started lighting extra candles. He heard a Dorocha shriek and dropped his basket of candles; one rolled near the curtains. Arthur looked up at the sound. Merlin explained how he thought he'd seen something. Arthur tried to tease him out of his anxious mood, but then they both saw the curtain move. The warlock made no move to pick up the candle. The Prince tried again, offering to fetch a maid to get the candle, but Merlin grumbled that the situation wasn't a joke.

Arthur was taken aback at his seriousness. He walked to the curtain and used his sword to whip it back and find . . . absolutely nothing. Merlin sighed in relief. Arthur tried humor again, telling his friend he'd never allow himself to look so spineless. Merlin told him he just looked heartless, thoughtless and humorless. The Prince rationalized that away by telling Merlin that he wasn't funny.

Merlin dropped _his_ attempt at humor and told Arthur that his magic didn't work in the face of the Dorocha. _That explains his mood_, Arthur thought, _he feels just as powerless as the rest of us_.

Both men turned reflexively when a Dorocha shrieked outside. "You're not scared?" Merlin asked.

The Prince decided honesty would reassure better than humor. "Oh, I am, Merlin. Maybe more than you." At least he wasn't outside, patrolling with his knights. He didn't envy them walking around exposed, with only torches between them and death.

xxxXxxx

Early in the morning, as if they'd camped outside the walls and waited until sunrise to come inside, villagers from outside the city crowded into Camelot with everything they could carry. When Arthur had first seen them from the window of his chambers, he'd called his uncle and Gaius to the council chambers to discuss the situation. Morgana had followed them. Now he looked out the window to check on what was happening in the courtyard.

"They're coming from across the kingdom. They're looking to Camelot for protection," Gaius said.

"And we will give it to them," Arthur stated firmly.

"We cannot house them all," Agravaine disagreed.

"_What does he know?_" Morgana thought to Merlin. She shared Merlin's dislike of Arthur's uncle.

"_Exactly_," Merlin agreed.

"We have to try," Arthur said.

"How? We cannot live like this forever, Arthur. We must find a way to vanquish these creatures."

Arthur turned to Gaius. "Somewhere in all your books, Gaius, there must be something. All I'm asking for is a way to fight them."

Gaius glanced at Merlin; they'd been up half the night researching again. "I fear the Dorocha cannot be defeated by swords and arrows, sire. If the veil between the worlds is torn, then there's only one path open to us. To travel to the Isle of the Blessed and repair it."

"And how do I do that?" the Prince asked.

"I'm not sure. But creating the tear would've required a blood sacrifice. To seal it will require another."

"_Oh no, I can see the wheels in Arthur's head turning. Not good_," Merlin thought to Morgana.

"_I'd wager he's planning to sacrifice himself. Stupid noble prince!_" Morgana agreed.

"We ride before nightfall," Arthur decided. Agravaine and Gaius were surprised.

"And who will be the sacrifice?" Gaius asked.

"If laying down my life will spare the people of Camelot, then that is what I must do." Arthur turned and left the room, Merlin following. The trip would take several days, so there was a lot of preparation to do.

xxxXxxx

As Arthur was intent on giving up his life, he needed to say goodbye to his father. He went to Uther's room and sat in the chair next to his father. Merlin stood behind him, out of hearing range; Gwen and Morgana waited outside. He had no idea if his father would even understand what was happening, but he had to try.

"There are many things I have to thank you for. You've taught me so much. Most of all, you have taught me what it is to be a prince. I hope that this time you'll be proud of me." Uther didn't say a word or indicate in any way that he'd heard. At that, something burst inside of him and an incredible sadness swept through him. Tears began running down his face.

As if she'd sensed his distress, Gwen walked into the room and stood next to Merlin. They watched silently as Arthur stood, cupped his father's chin and kissed his forehead. He turned to leave and Uther grabbed his arm firmly.

"Don't leave me," he pleaded. _He'd understood _some_thing_.

"I have to, Father."

"Please."

Arthur squeezed his father's hand then wiped his tears and walked away. He saw Gwen and went straight to her. Merlin read something in Arthur's face and decided to make himself scarce. This was a situation for Gwen to handle, so he left them alone.

"Promise me you'll look after him when I'm gone," Arthur said.

"What is it?" Gwen asked. When Arthur didn't respond, she tried another tactic. "You don't have to go."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "I do."

"Please, Arthur, take care. _You_ are precious, not just the kingdom."

"Smile."

"I can't."

He lifted her chin. "Do you remember . . . the first time I kissed you?" Gwen smiled and he returned it, pleased she'd reacted that way. "There. That's the memory I will take with me." He pulled her into an embrace and she held him tightly, still very worried. Then she took the initiative. When he tried to pull away, she stretched upward to press their lips together.

Arthur's next stop was Agravaine's chambers. He got right to the point by handing his uncle a ring bearing the Pendragon seal. He charged his uncle with the care of the kingdom—if Uther died, Agravaine was to take the throne. He protested, but Arthur was insistent; Agravaine had proved his worth. When Arthur left the room, Agravaine smiled at the ring in his hand.

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><p><strong>Off we go, into the hairy, scary yonder . . . thanks for reading!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**A big "thank you" to those who fave, follow and/or review! The notifications brighten up my bleak January days! :) Review replies:**

**sjritts- I am sure she'd be the more "aggressive" one; she has less to lose. ;) Missing a major part of myself would make me feel extra vulnerable too.**

**MerlinMorgana1579- He he he, the sacrifice. I have a reason for choosing the character I did. More fluff on the way!**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Thanks! We don't get to the Isle this time around- next time.**

**Patiku- Yeah, I don't really know what Agravaine did to deserve to be the next King. But if Arthur had tried to give it to Morgana, I think she would have refused- it's too much temptation for her. And Merlin _will_ get his, I promise. :)**

**Mike3207- See what I wrote to Patiku. And _King_ Agravaine gives me the creeps too, so I'll share that Arthur stays alive. :D**

**Time Lordess- Tension getting to you? ;) I'm old-fashioned and like my couples married before _that_. If you have a cooler idea for killing Agravaine than tossing him against a boulder in a cave, do share. I'm open to suggestions. ;)**

**Lady Flurryous- That's a good question; I didn't honestly consider that, oopsie! *bangs head on wall* I'll pay more attention as I finish the story so I can avoid those kinds of holes. And yeah, that's a good theory- maybe her magic worked, and maybe it was because she tore the veil. That's a good theory about Merlin's magic too; I like it! :)**

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><p>In another part of the castle, Morgana sat on a chair in Merlin's room, watching him pack. They didn't talk much; they'd had a chat about Merlin's plans and had disagreed. But she was there because she loved him and might not get to see him again. Gaius came in when Merlin was almost done.<p>

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

"That's what I said," Morgana interrupted. Merlin glared at her.

"It's my destiny to protect Arthur," the warlock defended himself.

"How? Your magic is powerless against the Dorocha," Gaius said. Morgana smirked.

"Then I must sacrifice myself in his place."

"No."

"He won't listen, Gaius."

"My life has always been marked out by destiny. If this is meant to be . . . I'm not afraid. I will gladly die, Gaius, knowing that one day . . . Albion will live." Gaius threw his arms around Merlin and embraced him fiercely.

Morgana was speechless. Gaius had just given in. But then again, he's had a lot more experience dealing with the destiny-driven warlock. _Should I just give in too? He's not going to change his mind no matter what I do or say_. _We could at least part in peace_.

When Gaius left the room, she moved to take his place in Merlin's arms and clung to him tightly. "Please don't leave me."

"You know I have to."

"I know. I just . . . if you go . . . if you sacrifice yourself . . . who will love me?"

Merlin looked down at her. "Morgana, you know better than that."

"Yes, I get that I'll have Arthur, Gwen and Gaius. But that's not what I meant."

"You mean, who will love you like _I_ do."

She nodded. Usually she didn't feel so . . . _needy_. But it felt like they'd _just_ gotten together and she didn't want to give him up. "Yes."

He chuckled a little, despite himself. "I'm sure there are several men lined up behind me, ready to take my place if I screw up so badly that you toss me away."

Morgana wanted to smack him. "But none of them have your kindness, generosity, bravery, selflessness, or your _magic_. I want someone equal to _me_, and none of _them_ are. They're not _you_."

His heart melted, and he pulled her closer. "I promise you, if there is _any_ way I can come back to you, _I will find it_." To seal the promise, he caught her head between his hands and tilted it up for a searing kiss.

They stayed like that for several minutes, only breaking apart when Gaius banged on the door. Through the door he said, "Arthur's calling for you."

Merlin picked up his bags. He took Morgana's hand and leaned in for one more kiss. "See you later," he said, and walked out the door to meet his destiny, also known as _Arthur_.

Once outside, Arthur and Merlin walked down to the gate to meet the rest of the Round Table knights. Arthur was talking, but Merlin looked away from him in time to see Gwen say something to Lancelot then walk away. He thought it was curious, but probably totally innocent. Gwen was completely in love with Arthur; destiny would ensure they stayed together.

They mounted up and rode out of Camelot. After several miles, Arthur decided it was dark enough to make camp for the night. Merlin volunteered to collect wood; Lancelot followed him.

"You shouldn't be here. You have no powers," the knight said.

"Doesn't matter," Merlin replied. That wasn't the only reason he came along.

"You're not a warrior, Merlin. I don't want to see you hurt. If you leave in the morning, I'll cover with Arthur."

"It's _your_ duty to protect Camelot no matter what the cost." Lancelot nodded. "Well, it's _my_ duty to protect Arthur. Surely you can understand that."

"I can understand that very well."

Merlin decided to ask him about the conversation with Gwen. "If you don't mind me asking, what did Gwen say to you? I saw you talking before we left."

"Oh. Um, she asked me to look after Arthur and bring him home."

"Ah. That sounds like something she'd ask."

"Please don't tell Arthur. I don't think he'd take 'looking after' very well."

"My lips are sealed."

xxxXxxx

Everyone was packed up and ready to go pretty early in the morning. They encountered no one on the road, not even bandits. Not even _they_ wanted to chance facing the Dorocha.

And then they started seeing bodies lining both sides of the road. They were groups of villagers traveling to Camelot to seek refuge, but these hadn't made it. No one said anything until Arthur gave the order to pick up the pace; the scene could disturb even the most battle-hardened warrior.

The group reached a crumbling fortress called Daobeth by nightfall. They immediately paired up and started searching for firewood at Arthur's order. Everyone managed to collect a bit before the shrieks started. The knights gathered together in a circle as the Dorocha got closer and closer. Arthur waved one away with a torch and told them to run for it, despite Percival's protest that they didn't have enough wood.

In a hurry to light the gathered wood, Merlin dared to light the fire with magic. Most everyone was too distracted to notice anyway. The knights stood around the fire with torches, waiting and watching. No one moved to lay out a bedroll for sleep.

A few hours later, Gwaine threw the last log on the fire. He suggested drawing lots to see who went for more, but Arthur volunteered. Much of the group looked at him in disbelief; Merlin just offered to go with him. _I should have known_, Arthur thought. When the Prince tried to poke fun at him, he shot back, "Well, since when have _you_ known how to collect firewood?" The knights chuckled and Arthur capitulated, because Merlin had a point.

They wandered away. Of course the Prince didn't pick up a single stick. Merlin collected wood while Arthur stood guard with a torch; it was a fair trade-off. Suddenly a Dorocha charged them from behind. Arthur dropped the torch to push Merlin out of the way, and they fell off the wall they'd been on.

"Let's go!" Arthur yelled, and they took off running. They ran down a few corridors before finding a room with a door, then jumped in and slammed the door behind them. They hid in a corner and waited, but the Dorocha seemed to have lost them. Merlin tied a cloth around the arm Arthur had injured. He shivered and Merlin gave him a confused look. "It's cold," the Prince explained.

"_Right_."

"You're not feeling it?" Merlin just shrugged and shook his head. "You know, Merlin, you're braver than I give you credit for."

The warlock grinned. "Really? Was that a compliment?"

"Don't be stupid." They both chuckled at that, but stopped when the Dorochas' shrieks grew closer again. "All the things I've faced . . . I never worried about dying."

"I don't think you should now."

"Sometimes you puzzle me."

"How so? You already know all my secrets."

"True. Maybe it's your unflinching optimism. Does it come from knowing how powerful you are?"

"That's part of it. I also have faith in _you_." He thought for a moment. "I always thought if things had been different, we'd've been good friends."

"Yeah."

"That's _if_ you hadn't been such an arrogant, pompous, dollop head." The Prince laughed at that. "We will defeat the Dorocha. We will, Arthur, together."

"Well, I appreciate that. You know, you're a brave man, Merlin. Between battles."

It was Merlin's turn to laugh. "You _still_ don't know how many times I've saved your life."

"Ha. If I ever become king, I'm gonna have you made court jester." They laughed again, together. Then the Dorocha shrieked again and they fell silent to remain hidden. "They say the darkest hour is just before the dawn," Arthur whispered.

"Feels pretty dark right now."

"Well, it can't be long then." A single Dorocha swept through the door. Arthur started to rise from his spot, but Merlin pulled him back. He stood up and ran straight for the Dorocha. Arthur yelled, "Merlin, no!"

But it was too late. Merlin jumped at the Dorocha; it caught him in the chest, stopped him mid-air and threw him back against the stone wall. Lancelot entered then and waved off the Dorocha with his torch. He handed the torch to Percival, who'd come in behind him, and turned to Arthur. "What happened?"

They went to Merlin and turned him over. He was frosted over like all the corpses they'd found earlier. But by some miracle, probably his magic, he was still alive. Arthur asked Percival to pick him up and carry him to the fire. Percival leaned him against the fire pit, where he lay limply as Lancelot tended to him.

A short distance away, Arthur and Leon discussed what they should do with him. Arthur wanted to turn around and head back to Camelot so Merlin could be treated. Leon argued that they shouldn't abandon the quest because hundreds more people could die. As much as he hated to admit it, Leon was right. The Prince hated debating the needs of one person versus the needs of many people, especially if that _one_ was important to him. He looked over at Merlin and opened his mouth to speak his decision.

Lancelot interrupted. "Let me take him."

"Carrying a wounded man alone, it will take you two or three days to reach Camelot," Arthur protested.

"Not if I go through the Valley of the Fallen Kings. You cannot give up on the quest."

"Sire, he's right," Leon agreed.

Arthur nodded and Percival carried Merlin to his horse. Arthur tied Merlin to the horse himself. "This is my fault and I'm sorry."

"Take me with you, please," Merlin begged.

"Even with your magic, if you don't get help, you would die, Merlin."

"But you don't understand. Please, Arthur, I have to come with you."

"Oh, I understand. You want to take my place. But that's not going to happen."

"But—"

"Merlin—do you ever do as you're told?"

Lancelot interrupted, "We need to leave."

Arthur squeezed Merlin's shoulder and sent him off with Lancelot. "Go." He looked after them worriedly as they left. It would feel very odd being on a trip without Merlin, but it was for the greater good. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

xxxXxxx

Much later in the day, Lancelot and Merlin stopped next to a stream. The knight laid his friend down next to it then draped his cloak over him. He took off his gloves to scoop water with his hands but stopped when he saw something odd about the water. He stared in shock as Merlin put his hand in the water and _something_ shimmered through Merlin's skin.

In the next moment, Lancelot _knew_ he must be going crazy. He heard a woman's voice say his name twice. Drops of water rose up from the stream and the voice, which was coming from the drops, said his name again.

A woman's face appeared in the drop he was staring at. She told him that they were Vilia, water spirits. They bore the men no harm and wanted to help restore the balance of the world. In fact, they were already healing Merlin because Arthur would need his and Lancelot's help. They also offered to protect the two of them from the Dorocha.

Lancelot accepted gratefully. As he lay down to rest, all the water drops turned into tiny lights and began hovering over himself and Merlin. He smiled and went to sleep.

xxxXxxx

Instead of sleeping, Arthur decided his group would walk through the Tunnels of Andor. Gwaine protested heavily, since he knew what lived in the tunnels. But one of the perks of being Prince was you could disregard the opinions of those beneath you. So he did and introduced the delightful properties of Gaia berries to his knights.

Just as Gwaine was about to enter the tunnel, a Dorocha launched itself at him. Percival came running and tackled his friend out of the way. Arthur came up behind them with a torch and they quickly slipped inside the tunnel before the Dorocha could make a second pass.

The farther they got into the caves, the more pig-like squeals they could hear. Gradually they came close enough that Arthur and Leon tossed their torches down and stamped them out. Everyone hid behind a length of rock and peeked over the edge. Two wilddeoren approached them but only one got really close; they ducked down again to avoid it. "Keep still. Don't even breathe," Arthur warned.

The berries' smell fooled the wilddeoren and they wandered off. Gwaine smiled in relief, but his smile faded when the others looked at him wide-eyed. A wilddeoren had snuck close and was now sniffing him. It pinned him hard against the rock. But he was beyond annoyed now and killed it.

The rest of his party looked at him. "You fool," Arthur said. Gwaine didn't understand until the Prince clarified, "They hunt in _packs_." Elyan suggested they run, and even though he wasn't in charge, they all followed that prudent suggestion.

xxxXxxx

Back in Camelot, Morgana ran into Gwen on the griffin staircase landing. They started talking and their conversation evolved into the whine fest Morgana had been longing for. "I just want to tell the world how I feel about him," Morgana said.

"I do empathize with you Morgana, you know I do. But if 'they' aren't ready to see me and Arthur together . . ."

Morgana rolled her eyes. "That chafes me too. I'd like to snap my fingers and change their narrow little minds, but Merlin thinks that would be 'unethical.'"

"You can _do_ that?"

"Probably. But I won't."

"It'll be soon, Morgana. You're still working on the magic laws, right? That will be a step in the right direction."

"True. But I still want to be able to kiss him senseless in public."

"Ooh, tell me about it." Morgana gave her an indignant look; Gwen's mouth fell open. "_Arthur_, not Merlin. I wouldn't dream . . ."

"Oh I know," Morgana laughed. "I just wanted to see the look on your face."

"Very funny," Gwen replied, but her friend had turned her attention away, out the window. Several peasants were desperately triying to push through the city gate as guards closed it on them.

"They can't _do_ that!" Morgana said loudly.

Both women ran down the stairs and found Gaius talking to a guard. When he finished, Gwen spoke up, "Gaius. The guards were under orders to shut the city gates at dusk."

"Whose orders?" the physician asked.

"Lord Agravaine's," Morgana said scathingly.

"The council's meeting right now. We should go to them and find out why," Gaius replied. The two women followed him to the council chambers. He opened the doors and strode in, Gwen and Morgana following right behind.

Agravaine sat with the councilmen at the head of the table. "Gaius. Have you come to join us?"

"Why have you closed the city gates?" the physician asked.

"We have limited resources, Gaius. As much as I would like to, we simply cannot feed and water the entire kingdom."

Morgana stepped in front of Gaius. "Surely the people have a right to be protected."

"_My Lady_, I would be putting Camelot in danger. Starvation, disease. Gaius understands." He glanced at the physician, who reluctantly nodded. "The gates will remain shut until we are free of the evil that plagues us." Morgana glared while Gaius turned to leave. "Now, gentlemen, where were we? There's reason to—"

"My lords," Gwen interrupted. Gaius paused and the councilmen stared at her. "May I be granted permission to address the court?"

"Guinevere," Agravaine said politely. His face looked like he'd eaten rat stew, but he gestured at her to come forward.

She stepped up to the table, Morgana beside her and Gaius behind her. "Prince Arthur taught me long ago that every citizen of Camelot is important. He would never stand by and let them suffer. He would help them if he could, and we must do the same."

"I feel the pain as much as you, but we don't have a choice. If we keep letting people in, our food will run out within days," Agravaine replied.

"You are wrong." The councilmen stared at Gwen and Morgana glared back, defending her friend.

"Perhaps you would enlighten me."

"Those outside the gates are landowners, farmers. For days the refugees have been bartering their wares with the townsfolk in return for the safety of their hearths. They bring with them far more than they take."

"But how long before these wares run out?"

"Three days ago, Prince Arthur embarked on a quest to rid us of these creatures. At worst, we have another three before he reaches his goal. Or do you think he will fail?" Morgana wanted to cheer—this was the future Queen coming out in her friend.

"Of course not."

Sir Geoffrey spoke up, "Sire, she's right."

"Very well. Reopen the gates," Agravaine said with apparent good grace. Gwen and Morgana curtsied and Agravaine smiled. But as soon as they'd left, the smile faded as he pondered the strength of these two women.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading everyone! Next up- dragons and knights and sacrifice, <em>oh my<em>!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's chapter 7- enjoy! Review replies:**

**Lady Flurryous- Hehehe I'm glad you liked it! :) And the sacrifice is coming in this chapter.**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Yeah, they are better together. I was going to let Morgana take it all, but Gwen needed to develop. ;)**

**Mike3207- Yeah, I think Agravaine's a huge misogynist, among his many other faults. He gets de-clawed though. Sorta. :)**

**MerlinMorgana1579- Actually, I didn't even think about Lance knowing that Arthur knew. It doesn't really come up, LOL! Wyverns, yes. And they're coming up!**

**Patiku- Oh yes, Gwen pwns, lol. ;)**

**yesthenLucky9- There you are! I sacrificed Alvarr, that's not good enough? lol! I'm thinking killing Aggy in a more . . . creative. Stay tuned. ;)**

**Time Lordess- Sorry! It only gets "worse." And I like your death scenes- they might spark something! :)**

**TobiasBoon- Wow, thanks! You must read very quickly, or not sleep! :D And I like your idea- I think I'll adapt it somehow.**

**HoRnIe DeMoN- It was one of my fave moments too! She's beginning to come into her own.**

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><p>The next morning, Lancelot woke to find Merlin gone. He called his name frantically but stopped when a voice behind him shushed him. Merlin was standing in the stream, fishing. Lancelot was so stunned by the difference in Merlin's appearance that he couldn't speak for a minute.<p>

Merlin waved the fish in his face, claiming it was breakfast. When Lancelot said nothing, Merlin handed him the stick and walked past him to his horse. They did need to catch up with the others as soon as possible, after all. The knight had regained some power over his words and protested, to no avail. Resigned, he picked up his sword and cloak and prepared to mount his horse.

At a different stream far away, Arthur and his knights paused to wash the stinking berries off. The sleepless night had taken a toll on them, but at least they were alive. At his order they started walking again. They were mostly silent because when _Gwaine_ was too tired to talk, nobody else would either. A truly unbelievable circumstance.

xxxXxxx

Agravaine dared to ride through the woods during the day. He was the highest authority in Camelot at the moment; no one would challenge him. He made his way to a well-camouflaged hut in the woods. This is where Morgause had hidden herself when she'd left the Isle of the Blessed. It was relatively close to Camelot so she could keep an eye on it and her spy.

Morgause was sitting by her fire, brooding, when Agravaine entered the hovel. She was delighted to hear how Camelot was falling apart under the onslaught of the Dorocha. But then he proceeded to tell her all about Arthur's trip to the Isle to heal the tear, and she lost her temper.

He tried to soothe her by telling her how Arthur planned to sacrifice himself, so he'd die one way or the other. That gave her positive news to report to Odin and would ease their march into the city. Overall it was good news and she was soothed. It wouldn't be long until she marched into Camelot and took her revenge on them all.

Agravaine told her how Gwen and Morgana had stood up to him at the council meeting. He was quite angry with them and wanted to eliminate them. Morgause squashed his threat—she didn't care what happened to the servant, but forbade him to even _think_ about harming Morgana. She planned to do everything in her power to return Morgana to her side, even if she had to use sorcery. But Agravaine was too weak-willed to kill anyone on his own. No reason to fear.

xxxXxxx

Merlin and Lancelot found a lodge to hole up in for the night. No one answered the door, so they went in only to find animals hanging from the ceiling and a Dorocha-frozen hunter. They laid him down and covered him with a blanket.

The whole situation made Merlin nervous. He had no desire to lodge with so many dead creatures. Lancelot argued that there was nowhere else and there was plenty of wood for a fire here. Merlin agreed reluctantly and lit the fire with magic. They settled down to share a bottle of wine they'd uncovered there. Both were too edgy to sleep.

Merlin told Lancelot that he didn't have to keep going with him. Lancelot just laughed; there was no way Merlin could stop him from going. The sorcerer wondered what motivated the knight, and asked him about it. Lancelot tried to evade the question, but Merlin finally deduced that it was because Gwen had asked him to look after Arthur. _Of course_ he would do as Gwen asked, even if it hurt him, because it made _her_ happy. Lancelot denied he still thought about her.

Merlin didn't believe for one second that Lancelot didn't think about her. Given the same situation, _he'd_ still think about the one he'd lost. He could only hope that Lancelot's feelings would fade in time and he'd find another woman worthy of his love.

The conversation dwindled after that and they mutually decided to get some rest. Much later on, Merlin sensed a Dorocha close by. He woke and sat straight up to find that the fire and candles had gone out. The Dorocha slid through the wall and charged at him. "Lancelot!" he yelled, and threw the last bit of his wine on the glowing coals. Flames rose in front of the Dorocha, which gave Merlin and Lancelot time to run outside into the dark night.

When they'd gotten under cover of the trees, Merlin began calling Kilgharrah, "**O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd 'hup' anankes!**"

Between the running for his life in the total darkness and the sudden sound of huge wings, Lancelot didn't have time to wonder what the hell Merlin had just yelled or why. But the Dorocha chased them until a giant fireball shot from the sky and incinerated it. He looked up to see a massive dragon and drew his sword, ready to attack the thing until it set another Dorocha on fire.

The men burst into a clearing and the dragon landed in front of them. Lancelot stepped forward to strike the dragon, but Merlin held out a hand to stop him, saying, "It's all right. It's all right." Lancelot stared as Merlin bowed to the beast and said, "Thank you." By now he figured that the dragon and Merlin were on speaking terms.

"Who is your friend?" Kilgharrah asked, seeming displeased.

"I'm Lancelot."

"Of course. Sir Lancelot, the bravest and noblest of them all."

"I'm not sure that's true. You have me at a disadvantage . . ."

"Oh. Lancelot, this is Kilgharrah, also known as the Great Dragon," Merlin said.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Sir Knight. For now, there are more pressing things at hand. The Dorocha cannot be allowed to remain in this world. The sundered veil must be restored."

"We're on our way to the Isle of the Blessed to help Arthur heal it," Lancelot said.

"Indeed. But at what price?" Kilgharrah looked pointedly at Merlin.

"I know that the spirit world demands a sacrifice."

"It demands _nothing_. It is the Cailleach, the gatekeeper to the spirit world who asks such a price."

"And there is no other way?"

"There is not."

"Arthur intends to sacrifice himself to heal the veil. It is my destiny to protect him; you taught me that."

"Merlin, you must not do this." Now Kilgharrah looked pointedly at Lancelot.

"Then I have no choice. I must take his place."

"From the moment I met you, I saw something that was invisible. Now it is there for all to see," the dragon said solemnly.

"A lot of what you see, old friend, is what you taught me."

"It will be an empty world without you, young warlock." Kilgharrah gave Merlin an affectionate look and flew off.

It was probably the most unusual conversation Lancelot had been a part of; he'd remember it until the day he died.

xxxXxxx

By the time Arthur and his knights had stopped for the night, they were all dead on their feet. Arthur felt responsible for their fatigue, so he volunteered to take first watch. The others sat on guard around their campfire. After a while, Elyan got up and approached Arthur.

"Seen anything?" Arthur shook his head. "Do you know what we're going to face on the Isle of the Blessed?" The Prince nodded again. "Do you want to tell me?"

"The burden's mine and mine to bear alone," Arthur said.

Elyan wanted to roll his eyes. "Look around, Arthur." He directed the Prince's line of sight to the knights around the campfire. "We would fight a thousand armies with our bare hands for you. We're never alone. We stand together. Come on, I'll take over." He reached out to take Arthur's torch. "You need some rest."

Arthur handed him the torch and put a hand on Elyan's shoulder. "Thank you." He patted Elyan on the back as he walked toward the campfire. A sudden shriek drove Elyan and Arthur to the fire. It looked like no one would get much sleep this night either.

xxxXxxx

Having no other place to stop, Merlin and Lancelot had mounted their horses and had ridden them at a walk for what remained of the night. They'd been mostly silent, lost in their own thoughts. But at last Lancelot had reasoned to the point where he needed to ask Merlin a question to confirm his suspicion. "When we get to the Isle of the Blessed, do you really intend to sacrifice yourself?"

"What do you want me to say?" Merlin tried to throw him off by answering the question with a question. It only partly worked.

"I look at you and I wonder about myself. Would I knowingly give up my life for something?"

"You have to have a reason. Something you care about. Something that's more important than anything." Merlin nudged his horse into a gallop. Lancelot thought for a moment before following him.

A while later they stopped at the top of a hill and found smoke rising from an abandoned fortress ahead. "Looks like someone beat us to it."

"Bandits?" Merlin wondered. Lancelot merely tilted his head in a way that Merlin interpreted as "maybe." _Okay then_. "Think we'll make it before nightfall?"

"There's only one way to find out. Ya!" Lancelot jolted his horse into a gallop. Merlin copied him and soon they were racing toward the fortress.

While Merlin and Lancelot galloped toward them, Arthur and his knights sat around a campfire on two big tree branches. Gwaine took off his boots and socks. They smelled so bad that he received severe ribbing from his fellow knights.

Arthur heard a sound in the darkness and whispered, "Quiet." They heard a gate open in the distance, stood and drew their swords. Everyone held their defensive stance until Lancelot stepped into the light. "_Lancelot?_ How's Merlin?"

"Bad news." Something moved behind Lancelot. "He's still alive." He grinned and stepped aside as Merlin walked up. Arthur chuckled in relief.

"Merlin!" Elyan cried. The rest of the knights hurried toward the servant and he and Lancelot received several hugs.

Arthur shook hands with Lancelot and gave Merlin a shoulder squeeze. He was too embarrassed to say what he really wanted to say, so he said instead, "Good to see you, Merlin."

Merlin knew what he really meant though. "Yeah. It's good to see you too."

Later on, Merlin and Arthur ate as they lounged by the fire. Everyone else had fallen asleep; the Dorocha were not around, miraculously. Merlin could read his friend's mood easily. "It's going to be fine. Everything will be all right."

"I'm just tired," Arthur fibbed.

_Like _hell_ you're just tired_. "You don't have to sacrifice yourself."

_Great, Merlin had "read" his mind again_. "To save my people."

"I will take your place."

Arthur shook his head. _Oh no you won't!_ "Merlin."

"What's the life of a servant compared to that of a prince?"

_Does he really think that?_ "Well, a good servant's hard to come by."

Merlin mentally rolled his eyes. "I'm not that good."

_No, you're better_. "True." Merlin shook his head. _I walked right into that one_. Arthur continued, "One thing. Look after Guinevere; I want her to be happy in her life. She deserves that."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure." _By dying in your place, dollophead_.

After that cheerful discussion, they decided to go to bed. They both wanted to be well-rested for what they each felt would be their last day on earth.

xxxXxxx

In the morning everyone packed up quickly, talking very little. They didn't have a very long walk to the Seas of Meredor, but wanted to get the unpleasant task over with as soon as possible. They all tried not to think how one of them wouldn't be making the return trip.

When they got to the waterfront, an aged ferryman waited with his boat. It seemed logical to take the boat to the isle. They sat there looking at the fog when they heard something screeching ominously. Merlin tried not think about what that might be by focusing how different this trip was from the last time he'd come here. It wasn't a positive difference.

When they finally stepped onto the isle, the screeching only got louder. Everyone drew their swords right before a wyvern swooped down at them. Arthur slashed at one as several more attacked from the sky. One managed to slice Percival's arm and he dropped to the ground.

Merlin crouched down to hide his face. He knew what he had to do. He whispered, "**S'enthend' apakhorein nun epello!**" He stood up and felt the power work through him. The wyverns flew off. Gwaine started to brag and Merlin rolled his eyes and shook his head. Someday soon he really _had_ to share his secret with the rest of the Round Table.

Arthur ordered the group to keep moving, so they walked on. When they got to another sizeable space, they looked up to see _more_ wyverns flying overhead. Leon offered to stay behind with Elyan and Percival to fight the wyverns; they were trapped behind them and couldn't go forward anyway.

That left Arthur with Gwaine, Lancelot and Merlin. He led his group into a huge space that contained an altar. The view of the opposite side was marred by a huge, black column of what looked like smoke. Gwaine was the only one who didn't recognize it for what it was. Nor did he understand what the others were all planning to do.

They were startled by a mysterious voice. "It is not often we have visitors." _The Cailleach_. She appeared as Merlin had seen her; an ancient woman weighed down by an eternal sadness.

"Put an end to this. I demand you heal the tear between the two worlds," Arthur stated.

"It was not I who created this horror. Why should it be I that stops it?" she replied, uncaring.

"Because innocent people are dying," Merlin yelled. The other three looked at him in surprise.

"Indeed," she confirmed, and started laughing maniacally. Gwaine charged at her with his sword raised. She threw him back with magic, knocking him out. "Is this the best you can do?"

"I know what you want," Arthur said.

"Do you? And are you willing to let me have it?"

"I'm prepared to pay whatever price is necessary." The Cailleach motioned for Arthur to come to her, and he began walking determinedly toward her.

_Oh no you don't_. Merlin whispered, "_Forþ fleoghe_." Merlin and Lancelot watched the spell stop Arthur and throw him backwards, knocking him unconscious too. The Cailleach looked at Merlin and they both walked to the altar.

"So, Emrys, you choose to challenge me after all. Will you give yourself to the spirits to save your prince?"

"It is my destiny."

"Perhaps. But your time among men is not yet over, Emrys, even if you want it to be."

Merlin looked at her, confused. She looked at the tear in the veil and Merlin followed her gaze. Lancelot was standing just outside it. He looked back at Merlin, smiled and walked into the shrieking veil. "_No!_ No! No! No!" As he watched in stunned horror, the veil closed behind his friend. "N-no," he murmured one more time, futilely. He stood there, alone with the unconscious Gwaine and Arthur, wondering how on earth he would explain this to them, the other knights and everyone back in Camelot.

He walked over to Gwaine and Arthur, rousing them one at a time. They asked all sorts of questions he didn't really want to answer. _Ever_. But he knew they deserved to hear what had happened. He told them he'd share what had happened once they were back with the other three knights.

The warlock did as he'd promised. He told them how Lancelot had walked into the veil to save them all. He answered questions about details. By the time he was done, everyone looked as devastated as he felt. When Arthur suggested they begin the trip home, no one protested. They took the boat back to the shore, then walked back to the fortress where they'd begun the day. From there they traveled back to where Arthur's group had left their horses.

The whole trip home no one talked much beyond the necessities, so it was a shock when they rode into Camelot amid a cheering crowd. The survivors joyfully waved flags and banners at them, and they managed small smiles and waves back. They rode somberly into the courtyard to see much of the royal household waiting for them. Most didn't notice how the knights' smiles didn't reach their eyes. When Gwen, Gaius and Morgana made eye contact with their loved ones, their faces fell.

Arthur and Merlin dismounted, taking their ladies' arms. They walked into the castle. Somehow Gaius got the message to follow them, and they trooped up to Arthur's chambers. Merlin once again told the story and Gwen collapsed in tears. After Merlin, Gaius and Morgana hugged her, they left Arthur to comfort the grieving maid.

Merlin spoke to Gaius briefly, telling him he'd be along after he spent some time with Morgana. The physician nodded, embraced his ward and turned to walk to his chambers.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Next- Lancelot is mourned and Morgause gets a surprise.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**I really _do_ like Lancelot, at least the _Merlin_ version. I killed him because I _really_ despise 5.9, _Lancelot du Lac_. Plus, would Morgana have told her sister about a crush Gwen had years before because she might be able to use it against Arthur? No, especially since in "my" universe, Morgana doesn't even find out that they're a couple until _after_ she's turned good. Ok, rant over. ;) I'm putting review replies at the end this time since this a/n is long enough.**

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><p>Morgana slid an arm around Merlin's waist and guided him into her chambers. Once she closed the door, he nearly collapsed into her arms. "You're home, you're safe. Let it all go." She felt him start to shake with the force of his silent sobbing and realized she couldn't hold him up any longer. So she walked them slowly to her bed and sat him down, keeping her arms around him.<p>

"It was supposed to be me!" he said through the tears. "Not him! Never him." And he kept crying.

Morgana began rubbing his back, trying to soothe him. She knew that Lancelot had been one of Merlin's first friends in Camelot; the first to discover his magic. And now he felt responsible for his death, even though Lancelot _chose_ to die. That's just how Merlin was built.

She lifted his head from her shoulder with both hands and looked him right in the eye. "Merlin, my love, you are _not_ responsible for Lancelot's death. It was _his_ choice—you _know_ that. Mourn because you've lost a great friend and the world's lost its noblest warrior. But don't blame yourself. He wouldn't want that."

He stared back at her, so surprised that he'd stopped crying. But he nodded in understanding.

She brushed the tears from his cheeks with her thumbs then slid her arms down to his shoulders to pull him back to her. They stayed like that, arms around each other, for quite a while. When Merlin's breathing evened out, he sat up. She put a hand to his face and said, "Better?"

"For now," he replied. He chuckled ironically. "You'd think I'd be used to all this loss by now, but it never gets any easier. Thanks for letting me ruin your dress."

She looked down at herself. "Oh, this thing? Psh, it's old and faded. I need a new one in this color, and you gave me the perfect excuse to commission it." She winked at him.

"In that case, it's my pleasure to be of service, Milady." He leaned closer to kiss her.

"I can think of other ways for you to be of service." She leaned up to recapture his lips and threaded her hands into his hair to keep him in place. He slid his arms around her waist to pull her closer. He moved to deepen the kiss by gently pushing her lips apart. "Ahh," she moaned just before their tongues tangled. He was acting a bit more aggressive than usual, probably as a way of working through his grief. And even though she thought it might be a bad idea, she allowed it. Maybe he'd let her finally have her way with him.

Merlin realized he was acting out of a need to feel something besides the grief, but he really didn't care at the moment. She was apparently willing to let him get away with it. Her hands slid down to his neckerchief, where she untied it and let it fall. He let her explore the skin there with her fingers. Then she pulled her mouth away from his and he wanted to protest until he felt her kissing his neck. "Oh," he gasped and he tightened his arms around her back.

He was ready to throw caution to the wind. When she brought her lips back to his, he gently pushed her to the bed, laying chest-to-chest. She gasped and reasserted control over their kiss. Her hands slid down his back and tugged his tunic up a bit. When her hands touched his skin there, he shuddered and pulled his mouth away from hers and kissed down her neck. His hands drifted up to her hair where he gently turned her head to expose her neck a bit more. She gasped again and felt her way up his back, pressing him a bit closer. She stroked his back for a minute or so before she had another idea.

Morgana wrapped her legs around his briefly and used that leverage to flip them over. He looked at her in surprise, but she just smiled wickedly and sat on his stomach. She brought her hands to his front and pulled up his tunic there too. Her hands slid under it at the same time she lowered her mouth back to his. He moaned as her hands slid upward, pushing the tunic as she went. His hands went to her back, to pull her closer, and their tongues met again. Rational thought had fled their minds completely.

He pushed her upward so she now sat on his lap with her legs around him. He'd just pulled away from the kiss and had his hands on his tunic to pull it over his head when there was a knock at the door. They froze for a moment then hurriedly separated.

Arthur opened the door and said, "Morgana have you got Merlin . . ." but stopped when he saw the two sitting on the bed, staring at him. They had wild looks in their eyes, slightly swollen lips and very mussed hair and clothing. "On second thought, never mind. I don't want to know what you two were doing. Just . . . straighten yourself up, Merlin, and come with me. I'll wait outside." He turned and left the room.

Merlin and Morgana stared at each other for a moment, then started laughing. He stood and tucked his tunic back under his belt. He took a couple of swipes at his hair before Morgana stood and helped him. She gave him one last peck on the lips, before sending him out of the room.

xxxXxxx

Midmorning the next day, the entire court gathered in the council chambers. Arthur wanted to make sure Lancelot received full honors even though many nobles had still had a problem with his lack of noble blood. He wanted to prove that even a so-called commoner could possess a noble heart. Like Gwaine said once, "Nobility is defined by what you do, and not by who you are."

"I want to pay tribute to Sir Lancelot. We owe him a great debt. It is not just his deed that we'll never forget. It's his courage. His compassion. His unselfish heart. He was the most noble knight I'll ever know. He gave his life for all of us."

After he ended the meeting, the knights and a few others gathered in the courtyard where a pyre had been erected. Much of the army already stood in formation, so the Round Table knights simply fell into it as well.

Arthur placed a Camelot knight's cape and sword on the pyre. These were used in lieu of a body. He waited while Merlin brought him a torch then tossed it onto the pyre. He watched it burn for a few minutes then stepped back to Gwen when he heard her crying. He took her hand as the sword began to steam in the flames.

The men had started to leave by the time Gwen finally spoke. "He didn't sacrifice himself for Camelot. I asked him to look after you and he promised me with his life. He was true to his word."

Arthur thought about what she had just said. _He sacrificed himself for me? Or had he sacrificed himself for Guinevere so she wouldn't lose me?_ He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and left her, still crying, by the pyre. She was alone in the courtyard, but Merlin and Morgana waited just inside the door for her to come in.

xxxXxxx

Morgause gazed into her scrying crystal. She wanted to discover the source of the forces working against her. Finally an image appeared—_she saw herself lying on the ground, the towers of Camelot in the near distance. Here and there lay bodies of her blood guard. A tall man strode into view; he was old but carried an aura of great power. "Emrys, please spare me! I just want to see my sister one last time!"_

_"Why should I permit you that, even _if_ she agreed?" the old man asked._

_"I never meant to hurt her, just take my revenge on Camelot. Please—"_

_"Morgause, you have shown over and over that you do not care who is hurt. For that, I will bind your magic until the King passes judgment on you." He held his hand over her and said,_ _"_Swígae Morgause_." Morgause tried to speak but couldn't. Neither could she move. Emrys stepped to where she could look into his eyes. "I'm sorry Morgause, I know this won't be pleasant, but it is necessary." He closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke, "_Ásæle heo drýcræftes wiðnnan heo gewitlocan oþ heo endedéaðes_."_

_She felt a wave of magic flow through her, gathering up her magic and compressing it until she felt it no more. There was no pain, but a great sense of loss—the energy, the hum she'd felt from her magic for over two decades, was gone. She opened her mouth to scream silently._

_Emrys looked on her in pity. "_Forlæte Morgause_," he whispered, and her scream became audible. He turned and left the clearing._

Morgause forcibly yanked herself from the vision. She wanted to scream though there was no need. She glanced away from the crystal and concentrated on calming her breathing and heart rate. No plan to prevent this vision could be formed until she could think clearly.

By the time Agravaine came around to tell her about their plan's failure, she had a few new ones in mind. Foremost among them was to find this Emrys. However, she did scream when he told her the Prince was still alive.

"Arthur was lucky," he tried to soothe her.

"No, you're wrong. We were not thwarted by luck, it was _Emrys_!" she yelled.

"Emrys?"

"I scryed for the source of the forces arrayed against us and was shown a vision. In it, an old man named Emrys took my magic. It was he that thwarted us, I'm sure of it."

"So what's to be done?"

"As long as he exists, I will never achieve my vengeance. If you want your promised reward, you must help me find this Emrys and destroy him. I will inform Odin of the delay."

xxxXxxx

Merlin sat on his bed, speaking mentally with Morgana before he went to bed. He heard the outer door open and got up to walk to his closed door. _Agravaine_. He asked Morgana to wait for a few minutes.

"Gaius," Agravaine said.

"How can I be of assistance?" the physician asked.

"You're a man of great knowledge and wisdom."

Gaius scoffed and said, "Knowledge, perhaps."

"Have you ever come across a sorcerer called Emrys?"

"No. Doesn't sound familiar."

"Hmm. Well, if you do hear mention of the name . . ." Arthur's uncle turned to leave.

"I'll be sure to tell you."

"It will not go unrewarded." Agravaine chuckled as he left the room. As soon as the door was closed, Merlin came out of his room.

Gaius looked up at him. "There's only one person who would've told him that name. Morgause. She must have seen a vision or heard it somewhere."

Merlin shook his head. "They're working together? But Agravaine . . ."

"I suspect he's not as virtuous as he seems. And, don't forget, he has every reason to despise Uther. We must beware, Merlin. Morgause can never know who you really are."

Merlin pondered that for a few moments then spoke to Morgana. "_Agravaine just left here. He asked Gaius if he'd ever heard of Emrys_."

"_But how could he know the name?_" she replied.

"_Morgause has visions too, right?_"

"_Yes, but she doesn't dream like me. She has to use a crystal_."

"_She must have seen something where my other name was spoken, and told Agravaine. That's the only way he could know_. _They're working together_."

"_You're probably right_. _None of _us_ would tell him, and no druid would talk to him. We have to tell Arthur_."

"_Do you really think he'd believe us? He values Agravaine's counsel over anyone's. And we have no evidence_."

"_Ugh! Still, I knew there was a reason I didn't like him_."

"_It's nice to feel justified, but we need to find out what he's up to, and stop him. And somehow find evidence that he's a traitor_."

"_That's all, huh? Great_."

"_I don't know about you, but I need to go to bed. It was an exhausting day_."

"_Yes. Goodnight, my love_."

"_Goodnight Morgana_." He ended the connection and stood up. He noticed that Gaius was looking at him. "Talking to Morgana."

"Ah," his mentor replied.

"Well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight Gaius."

"Goodnight Merlin."

xxxXxxx

Several days later, Arthur caught Morgana, Merlin and Gwen whispering together in Morgana's chambers. They stopped when they saw him and denied talking about him, but Arthur knew better than to believe them. His birthday was coming up and Morgana always found some way to poke fun at him without anyone noticing she was poking fun at him. He idly wondered what her method would be this year before yanking Merlin out of his chair and out of the room. The Prince started thinking of ways to tell his servant off for daring to be part of the conspiracy.

Meanwhile, Morgana and Gwen went off to find Agravaine. He was going to be an unknowing co-conspirator in their scheme. Even though they weren't sure they could trust him, he'd surely be able to carry out their plan. All Morgana had to do was have a loud conversation with Gwen in a corridor she knew he'd take at a particular time of day. He'd stop to ask about their chat- since he was a busybody -and then they'd rope him in.

The plan worked too well. It had given Agravaine an idea, which he took to Morgause. She took it to Odin and he used his resources to set it up. Agravaine made sure everyone knew he was handling the birthday celebration. No one besides Arthur asked any questions.

Camelot was greeted by a traveling carnival on the morning of Arthur's birthday. But Agravaine had refused to keep it a secret and had told his nephew the day before. Morgana scowled at him for the next day or so, but he appeared unaffected. He'd get his _somehow_.

Merlin was in the middle of tidying Arthur's chambers when he heard music coming from outside. He glanced out the window to see the carnival's caravan enter the courtyard. Their carts were colorful and even while unloading the performers were dancing, flipping and juggling. "Oh! Did you see that?" he asked the Prince.

Arthur peeked out the window briefly. "It's a man throwing sticks in the air," he replied without enthusiasm.

Merlin noticed his mood. "What's wrong?" Arthur made a face at him. "It's your birthday. A huge feast is being held in your honor. You've got dancers, jugglers and acrobats to entertain you. It must be a terrible burden."

"Perhaps I'm less easily impressed than you."

"_I'm_ really looking forward to it. But maybe you'd prefer some real magic?" He whispered something and different colored fireworks popped soundlessly in the air.

Arthur smiled and shook his head. "You have the mind of a child." He turned to leave the room.

"And yet I'm still more intelligent than you."

Arthur yelled back, "I heard that."

Merlin just grinned and followed Arthur. He and Morgana were going to check on the performers in the banquet hall while Arthur visited his father. Visiting Uther was no fun for Merlin, because if he got too close the King would glare at him as if he could see all Merlin's secrets. He'd almost rather clean the leech tank than visit Uther.

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><p><strong>Next up: joy and sadness. Thanks for reading!<strong>

**sjritts- I agree. I think Kilgharrah was telling Merlin and Lancelot what to do without them knowing it. And the Callieach probably _did_ know what would happen. She seemed to know plenty of other things.**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Hehehe, Morgause will get some. ;)**

**MerlinMorgana1579- I hope my reasoning up top made sense. But hey, at least I didn't wipe out M or M. :) ?**

**Mike3207- Yup. And I haven't mentioned it in the story, but M&M _are_ continuing their spellwork.**

**Patiku- 1: Well, they both hate the Pendragons. Aaand I'll admit I didn't think of that before. You nailed me! :D 2: I hadn't considered that, although that would be _really_ cool. 3: You'll have to wait and see.**

**Lady Flurryous- If it made sense, I'd have sacrificed Aggy in a heartbeat! And Shade!Lancelot is sooo not happening, like I said at the top. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I must say, it's weird writing the end of the story while revising and posting the beginning, but it works! Review replies:**

**MerlinMorgana1579- Well thank you! :D And don't worry about Arthur; he has to suffer a bit. This is the beginning of Uther's end, but with a couple of twists. I'm still over mulling what to do to Aggy.**

**mersan123- I know, Arthur has to ruin the feels, but I do have a reason. Glad you enjoyed it anyway! :)**

**Guest- Thank you! :)**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- You guessed it! Plenty of twists to come with it though. :)**

**sjritts- I definitely prefer sweet Morgana too. I haven't met anyone who likes Agravaine, and he is a horrible spy. He's not proactive and just _reacts_ when something goes wrong. He's all hot air. :P**

**Guest(Interesting)- I'd like to think so; thanks!**

**Mike3207- Thanks! And it's not Morgause who'll reward Agravaine, it's Odin. I didn't say that, oops! I didn't like pervy!Agravaine, so I'm deliberately writing him differently. I didn't consider what Morgause knew about Emrys; I kind of assumed Morgana didn't know about him because Morgause didn't. But I do think she'd be interested in finding out what he knows.**

**Whovain101- No, I don't imagine Arthur enjoys seeing his father so diminished; it's hard to watch a parent age. I know I definitely wouldn't want to walk in on my sister doing something like that either! :O**

**Lady Flurryous- Glad you liked the Mergana! That bit was pretty fun to write. And yes, Uther's on his way out.**

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><p>While Merlin was dressing him for the feast, Arthur shared how his visit with his father had gone. He told him how the King had looked uninterested and withdrawn as usual, so he'd started talking about court affairs. Then Uther had stopped him and <em>smiled<em>. He'd wanted to talk about his son's birthday.

They'd talked briefly about the celebrations. When Arthur mentioned he'd tell Uther about it tomorrow, the King had balked. He'd insisted he wasn't going to miss "his son's anniversary" and would attend the feast. Arthur was overjoyed at this. It was the most life his father had shown in a long time. Even though Merlin wasn't overly fond of Uther, he was happy for Arthur. This was the best birthday present he could have received.

The hour of the feast arrived. Arthur sat at the head table with Uther on his left and Morgana on his right. He wanted to avoid a confrontation between them, but Uther either ignored her or didn't notice she was there.

While they ate, the performers put on their show. Everyone appeared to enjoy it immensely. Arthur even caught his father smiling. When Uther noticed his son watching him, he raised his goblet. Arthur gladly returned the gesture; it was such a joy to see his father interacting with others and things going on around him. Maybe there _was_ hope for his recovery.

After most of the acts were finished, the leader of the group, the gleeman, bowed and strode into the middle of the hall. Everyone looked at him and quieted down. He looked around as if searching for something. "I require a volunteer . . ." he said, and walked toward the head table. "Prince Arthur. What better or more fitting occasion for you to demonstrate your legendary bravery?"

Arthur looked at Morgana, who smirked at him as if to say, _well come on_. He didn't particularly want to participate, but he couldn't back down from a dare like that. "Do you accept the challenge?" The gleeman asked.

It felt like everyone was looking at Arthur. _Talk about pressure_. He stood and said, "Of course."

Morgana was the first to start applauding. Others in the room caught on quickly. He went to walk around the table when Merlin stepped in his path. "Is this safe . . . ?" he whispered.

"It's knife throwing, Merlin. _Of course_ it's not safe. I could hardly refuse his challenge. But, uh, keep your _senses_ alert, if you would please." He handed Merlin his cloak and jacket and walked over to the circular board where the gleeman was waiting for him. He smiled at the crowd then placed himself against the board. The gleeman and a little man strapped him to it. Arthur glanced nervously at the gleeman.

"Do not fear, my Lord. I never miss my target."

"Good. Glad to hear it." He didn't actually feel reassured.

The gleeman pulled out an apple and turned to Arthur. "May I?"

"What?" Before Arthur could object, the gleeman put the apple in Arthur's mouth.

The Gleeman nodded to the little man who gave the wheel a spin. Everyone "ooh'ed." Arthur spun around and got a bit dizzy. Another little man gave a case of knives to the gleeman, who brandished it to the crowd. Without even aiming, he turned and threw a knife at Arthur. It stuck into the board, close to Arthur's face. The crowd gasped then applauded. Uther was very impressed but Gwen covered her eyes. The gleeman took another knife and threw it without warning. It stuck into the board on the other side of Arthur's head; there was more applause. The gleeman picked up the final knife. Gwen closed her eyes while Uther applauded gleefully. The gleeman waved the final knife at Uther, who nodded his permission. Arthur's eyes went wide as the gleeman took aim. Merlin looked on, ready to intervene magically. Finally the gleeman threw the knife . . . it spun through the air and sliced into something _not_ wood. The crowd gasped and held its breath as the wheel slowed to a stop; the knife was stuck in the apple. The hall erupted in applause and Arthur opened his eyes. He sighed in relief as the gleeman took a bow.

Another man helped Arthur down from the wheel. He tossed the apple and caught it; then Merlin appeared with his jacket. "See, Merlin? Nothing to worry about." He took a bite of the apple and walked off while Merlin chuckled. He was just glad he hadn't had to use magic in front of the King.

Morgana sashayed up to him. "A little hair-raising, wasn't it?"

Merlin watched Arthur chatting with the knights. "Definitely. But something seems odd about that man. At least Arthur will be guarded tonight."

xxxXxxx

A couple hours later on, Merlin noticed Arthur start laughing a little too loudly and stumble a little too often. He sidled up to the Prince and suggested he retire for the night. To his surprise, Arthur agreed. By the time they reached Arthur's chambers, he had his arm around the Prince. Merlin followed a staggering Arthur into his chambers, talking about the wheel trick.

"You're telling me you weren't even a little bit scared?" Merlin asked.

"Of course I wasn't. I am a warrior. You learn to control your fear. To channel it . . ." He stopped talking when he walked into a column. Luckily Merlin caught him to prevent his fall. Arthur righted himself and continued walking. _Usually his reflexes aren't this good when he's drunk_, Merlin thought.

"You looked scared . . ."

Arthur started to undress. "It's good to see my father enjoying himself. But he looked a little quiet towards the end, though. Perhaps I should go and see him." He stood up and started walking.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You can barely stand up."

Arthur was indignant. "Are you saying I'm drunk?"

"No, I'm just saying I don't think you should be wandering around the palace."

He stopped at the door. "And why is that?"

Without looking, Merlin said, "You're not wearing any trousers."

Arthur looked down and saw that his trousers were indeed missing, then looked back at Merlin. "Good point." He hitched up his trousers on his way out the door. He yawned mightily as he walked down the corridor to his father's chambers.

Inside, he saw Uther sitting in his chair, sleeping peacefully. Arthur took the goblet from his hand and put it on the table. He sat in the chair closest to his father and fought the tiredness he felt sweeping through him, to no avail.

Arthur was almost asleep, though he wanted to keep an eye on Uther. His head lolled to the side until he caught a glimpse of the gleeman- holding a sword -in the wine pitcher. He drew _his_ sword and parried the gleeman's blow. Arthur staggered out of the chair and nearly fell backwards. He was sluggish and disoriented and tried to call out, but his voice was weak. "Guards . . . ! Guards!"

The gleeman attacked again. Arthur barely managed to fight him off. His sword was knocked out of his hand and thrown across the room. He collapsed to his knees as the gleeman stood over him. "Goodbye, Arthur Pendragon," he said and raised his sword to strike. But his blow was blocked by a sword held by _Uther_.

"It will take more than a coward like you to kill my son," the angry King said. That began a furious fight between the two older men. The gleeman held the advantage only because Uther was out of form. The King was beaten back and only narrowly avoided being killed. Arthur attempted to stand and help his father, but he was too drowsy and collapsed back to the floor. Uther attacked and the gleeman easily deflected the blows. "Have you anything to say to your son before I kill him?"

The King looked at the helpless Arthur, and began attacking with a new ferocity. His heavy blows took the gleeman by surprise and forced him back. Eventually the gleeman's sword was knocked from his hand and Uther prepared to strike a fatal blow. But the gleeman had one last trick; he drew a knife and lunged at Uther while the King stabbed him.

Arthur looked on, vastly relieved. But his father didn't respond. In fact, he looked confused—then his legs buckled. "Father?" he asked, right before he realized that something was _very_ wrong. He slid over and caught the King as he sunk to the floor. Arthur glanced down and was horrified to see blood staining his father's robes. Both men were fighting to stay conscious, but Arthur tried to yell anyway. "No . . . _Guards!_ . . . I'll go get help . . ."

He tried to stand but stopped when Uther spoke. "Stay with me . . ."

"I'm here, Father . . . _Guards!_ Someone! We need help!"

"It is my time . . ."

"_No_ . . . You can't die . . ."

"I know you will make me proud, as you always have. You will be a great King . . ."

"I'm not ready . . ."

"You—you've been ready for some time, Arthur . . ."

"No. I need you . . ."

"I know I've not been a . . . a good father. I put my duty to Camelot first. I'm sorry."

"Don't say that . . ."

Uther gripped Arthur's hand with his remaining strength. "But know this one thing. I always loved you . . ." And with that, Uther's eyes slowly closed as he lost consciousness.

Arthur's horrified but barely able to focus. "_No_ . . . Father . . . _Father!_" He couldn't believe how fast this day turned from the best ever to the worst. "No . . ."

Just then a pair of guards burst into the room. They stared at the King in horror before Arthur snapped weakly, "One of you fetch Gaius! The other . . . help me move the King to his bed." The guards wisely came alive and one dashed out the door. The other ran to the bed and ripped down the covers. He hurried back to the King and did most of the lifting, as Arthur was still weak.

Down in Gaius's chambers, Gaius and Merlin sat talking. The guard burst into the room and briefly explained the situation. The two men jumped up and began hurrying around the room, collecting supplies. Then Gaius thought of something. "Merlin—go fetch Gwen. Arthur will need both of you."

Merlin just nodded and ran from the room, down to the lower town and Gwen's house while Gaius and the guard made haste to the King's chambers. Arthur sat slumped in a chair next to the bed, holding his father's hand.

On the floor lay the gleeman. The guard there had fetched a maid to bring an extra sheet. Then the two guards rolled the body onto the sheet, wrapped the sheet around him and carried him away. The maid set to cleaning the blood off the floor.

Gaius dashed over to the King. He examined him briefly then asked Arthur for the story, which the Prince related. The physician saw Arthur's condition and opened his bag to pull out a bottle. "I had packed this for me, but it looks like you need it more than I do."

Arthur uncorked the bottle and drank its contents. Almost immediately he was more awake. "I thought I was drunk, but then I felt so sleepy . . . and this isn't your hangover cure, is it?"

"No. I think they gave you a sedative. Your food was tasted, yes?"

"As always."

"It must have been in the apple he gave you."

Arthur growled. "If he wasn't already dead, I'd kill him." Just then, Merlin and Gwen ran into the room. She ran right to Arthur and embraced him tightly.

Merlin went to Gaius's side, where the physician briefly explained the situation. Merlin berated himself for not attending Arthur, but Gaius calmed him down. He turned back to Uther to perform a more thorough exam. Gwen and Arthur watched, the latter looking more and more desperate.

"Gaius. Can you treat him?"

"The blade has touched his heart. He's bleeding inside."

"There must be something . . . there must be something you can do. _Please_, Gaius."

Gaius shook his head. "It is just a matter of time, I'm afraid. I'm sorry, Arthur."

Arthur just stood there, staring at his father. He couldn't believe that his father was going to die, just like that. Gwen saw the look on his face and squeezed his hand. He refused Merlin's offer to help him dress for bed, but summoned Agravaine and Leon. Gwen pulled another chair over and sat by him. Gaius and Merlin left the room, heading back to their chambers to attempt sleep.

xxxXxxx

In the morning, Merlin was woken by a voice in his head. "_Merlin! Why didn't you wake me?!"_

"_Morgana, I'm sorry. It was late, and knowing about your sleep, or lack thereof_ . . ."

She cut him off. "_I would have liked to know that my father was dying!_"

"_My love, I am truly sorry_."

She grumbled. "_Well, I'm in Uther's chambers now, and Arthur's asleep in a chair. At least Gwen had the sense to curl up_."

"_Oh rats, he's going to be stiff and sore and yell at me_."

"_Well, come and get his waking over with. I have a feeling he's going to be pretty busy today and will need to be kept awake and aware_."

"_Coming, love_."

Merlin went to Uther's chambers and woke the Prince. Surprisingly, he wasn't angry. He wasn't _anything_ actually. He was, understandably, still in shock from the attack. Merlin pulled Arthur gently to his chambers where he saw him fed and dressed. When Morgana was ready for the day, she came to see her brother. The council wanted to hear the gory details even though Leon and Agravaine weren't back from the fact-finding mission he'd sent them on before falling asleep last night.

Much later in the day, Leon and Agravaine returned. Morgana stood with Arthur, who received them in the council chambers. He seemed to be paying attention, but just barely. He looked beyond his two advisors while they spoke.

Agravaine explained how they'd traced the gleeman to a town in Odin's land. Odin had hired him to assassinate Arthur to avenge the death of his son. Leon hypothesized that he'd had an accomplice among the performers, but he'd probably fled the city. Agravaine put his hand on Arthur's shoulder in comfort, and Morgana glared at him. _You probably arranged the whole thing and I just let you. Argh!_

After Agravaine pledged his support, he and Leon were thanked and dismissed. Merlin entered the room and Arthur seemed to perk right up. "What news of my father?"

"There is no change," Merlin replied.

Morgana saw Arthur snap right before he spoke. "Well, why isn't Gaius doing something, then?!"

"_Tread softly, love. He's not doing well_."

Merlin gave her a tiny nod. "Because there is nothing he can do," he said to Arthur. The Prince sighed and visibly crumpled. "_He's been like this all day_," he told Morgana.

"_I know. He's shut himself off and won't reach out to anyone. I'm suffering the same way, for crying out loud!_"

"_What can we do?_"

"_Make sure he's never alone_."

xxxXxxx

In another part of Camelot, Agravaine burst through the door of Morgause's hut. She almost stabbed him in her surprise, and barely managed to stop herself. He brushed off her actions, clearly in a good mood.

She let him explain how their plan with the assassin didn't work how they'd planned, but turned out better than they could have hoped. Though the man had been caught, missed his target and was killed, all was not lost. Uther would die within a few days. Odin would have to live with not getting immediate revenge, but there would be other opportunities. One of Morgause's goals would finally be achieved. And as a bonus, Arthur was devastated and couldn't think straight. If he stayed that way, Camelot would be weakened and ripe for the picking.

Agravaine was worth the aggra_vation_ after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading everyone! :) Next up, Arthur asks a friend for a favor.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Fear not, Arwen fans! Several bits in this chapter! :) Review replies:**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Thanks! I'm a fan of snappy one-liners, LOL! And Arty remembering what his BFF can do in 3, 2, 1 . . .**

**MerlinMorgana1579- Ha, I have cute nicknames for everyone! And that's one of my fave scenes too. Makes ya think he's psychic!**

**sjritts- I like to think of what Uther did here as a tiny bit of redemption for him. And yeah, one of his few redeeming qualities is his love for his children. LOL, you keep cracking me up- all that stuff's at the end! ;)**

**Whovain101- Yeah, I don't know how Arthur could stand Aggy's slimy oiliness. And Morgause only puts up with him for the intel. I'm glad I can keep you on your toes. :)**

**CHARLES CHUKU- Aggy will get a more painful death than the original. I'm planning it now.**

**Patiku- I wonder if the writers gave him that name on purpose? And hehehe. Not answering your question yet. :D**

**Guest- I apologize! They _will_ end up together, I promise! And no nasty shade!Lancelot will get in the way. :)**

**Mike3207- Ah, yes. There will be grief. And magical healing.**

**HoRnIe DeMoN- Don't forget Gaius, LOL! Oh, what fun I'll have messing with the original plot. I hope you'll like it!**

**yesthenLucky9- Thanks! Yeah, Arthur having a nice birthday where _nothing_ goes wrong? His BFF's more likely to be a sorcerer, LOL! :)**

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><p>After dinner, Merlin went with Arthur to check on his father. The Prince stood by the bed and just stared at Uther. Gwen came in and walked over to the bed to change the dressing on Uther's wound.<p>

"I appreciate your kindness, everything you're doing for him," Arthur told her. Merlin walked to a window and pretended not to hear their conversation.

"I do it for you," she replied. That appeared to tip him over the edge. He looked away from her as tears trickled down his face. "Oh, Arthur."

"I can't watch him die . . . There's still so much I want to say to him . . . He _cannot_ die."

She came around to him, wiped away his tears and held him in her arms for a while. "Have faith," she whispered. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him tenderly. Before she left the room, she whispered a few more things into his ear that made him smile.

After a few moments, Arthur looked up at Merlin, noticing he was at the window. He walked over to him and looked out. Many townspeople stood in the courtyard, holding candles. He didn't understand what they were doing. "What's going on?"

"It's a vigil for your Father. The people wish to share their grief," Merlin explained.

Arthur frowned at this. It was . . . unsettling for some reason. "Why are they behaving like he's already dead when there's still life in his body?"

"They're preparing themselves for the worst."

"They can give up hope, but _I_ won't."

"There really _is_ nothing that Gaius can do."

Arthur went silent for a few moments. That usually wasn't a good thing. "There _is_ a way to heal my father."

Merlin thought he knew where Arthur was going with this, but asked anyway. "How?"

The Prince hesitated, then stared meaningfully at his servant. "With magic."

"You realize you're asking me to save the life of a man that would have me executed?"

"I know what I'm asking of you, and you have no reason to help me. But . . . You're my father's only hope. Can you do it?"

Merlin was a little surprised, but he shouldn't be. "I'm not sure. We should go talk to Gaius. And probably Morgana."

"Well, let's go then. You can do your mind-talk thing with her on the way." And Arthur was out the door.

Gwen walked past them on her way back into the room. Arthur was too preoccupied to acknowledge her, but Merlin sent her a look that said _we'll talk later_. The he sent a mental message to Morgana. "_Can you meet me in Gaius's chambers right now?_"

"_I guess so. What's going on?_"

"_Arthur wants me to use magic to heal Uther_."

There was a stunned pause. "_I'll be right there_."

Morgana made it to Gaius's chambers seconds after Arthur and Merlin did. Arthur had already told Gaius the plan. He looked concerned and said to Arthur, "You're planning on using magic?"

"I'm desperate. It's my only hope of healing my father.

Gaius gave Merlin a look. "Merlin, please tell me you're not going to do this."

"I'd be lying if I said 'no.'"

"You can't risk exposing yourself like this. It's too dangerous."

"Not if we find a way to do it without anyone knowing," Morgana suggested.

"And if he succeeds and Uther wakes up and sees him?" Gaius asked.

Arthur looked ready to start crying. "There _has_ to be a solution. I can't lose him."

"Maybe Merlin can disguise himself somehow? So no one will recognize him . . ." Morgana said.

Merlin pondered that a moment, then a smile spread over his face. "I think I have an idea!" He ran off to his room. The other three heard various scuffling sounds before he bounced back into the main chamber with something in his hands. He waved a book in the air; its cover screamed _magic_.

"You have a magic book," Arthur said dubiously.

"Of course I do." Merlin plunked the book onto the table and turned the pages with magic. Arthur and Morgana looked on in awe. "Here!" He slammed his palm down on the page.

Gaius looked down at the page. "An aging spell? Merlin, aging spells are notoriously difficult and unpredictable. If the spell doesn't hold, you'll be exposed."

"It's brilliant!" Morgana cried. "This could really work. If necessary, we could pretend you're an uncle of my mother's or something."

"Do you think Uther is going to thank you for healing him with magic? He's more likely to have you hanged," Gaius said.

"Uther will never change his attitude towards magic. I know that." Merlin looked at Arthur, who sat silently on the bench. "It's worth the risk."

"You of all people should know that the use of powerful magic is fraught with danger."

"If anyone can do it, Merlin can," Morgana stated firmly. She walked over to him and took his hand.

Arthur looked up at Gaius. "If you were me, if it was _your_ father or _Merlin_, would you use magic to save his life?"

Gaius looked at Merlin and thought for a moment. "Yes, I would. I would do whatever it took." He sighed. "When are you going to do this?"

Arthur looked at Merlin. "Tomorrow morning? Will he still be alive then, Gaius?"

"Yes."

The Prince clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "All right! Now I'll go tell my uncle. He should know about this."

Merlin, Morgana and Gaius looked at each other uneasily. Merlin spoke. "Arthur, are you sure that's a good idea? We should probably keep this between the four of us and Gwen."

"No, I'm going to tell him; he's family. I trust him to keep this to himself." He nearly skipped to the door. "I'll expect you as normal in the morning, _Mer_lin." And with that, he left the room and the other three occupants staring at each other.

Morgana snapped out of it first. "Can I help with anything?"

"As much as I'd love to have you around, you need your rest. We're sort of used to all-hours researching," Merlin told her. He brought her into a hug and she kissed his cheek when she moved away.

"Goodnight then, Merlin and Gaius."

"Goodnight," the men said together. "_Love you_," Merlin said in her head.

Merlin ran to the upstairs shelves and started searching them. He took various books down, stacked them into his arms and headed down to a mostly cleared table. Gaius looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then walked over to search through another bookcase.

Merlin looked through several books at once, for a while, but failed to find what he was looking for. He ran his hands through his hair and growled in frustration. Gaius looked up at him. "I promised Arthur I could heal Uther and I can't even find the right spell," the warlock said.

"That's because you're reading the wrong books. Here . . ." Gaius held out a small leather book to him and Merlin took it. "Gwillem of Cambria was as mad as a coot, but there has never been a better healer."

Merlin smiled up at him. "Gaius. Thank you." He read over the potion-and-spell combination. "I'm glad you found this. The potion needs several hours to steep. We'll have just enough time."

"Then we'd better get started."

xxxXxxx

Arthur strode to Agravaine's chambers. He found his uncle reading, but when Arthur came in, he looked up and asked after Uther's health. The Prince told him there was no improvement, then hesitated. _Maybe I _shouldn't_ tell him_ . . . _but he _is_ family_ . . . he finally made a compromise with himself. He'd tell Agravaine, but wouldn't tell him when they were doing it.

Finally Arthur spoke, telling his uncle he'd be using magic to heal his father. Agravaine was shocked, of course, and immediately tried to talk Arthur out of it. Arthur was firm, so Agravaine resorted to using Igraine as a reminder. That made Arthur hesitate for a moment, but only a moment. He asked his uncle if he wanted Uther to die, and Agravaine had to backpedal a bit. That seemed to strengthen Arthur's resolve. He left, declaring, "My mind's made up."

Agravaine gave Arthur a few minutes to get back to his chambers. As soon as he felt it was safe, he donned his cloak and snuck out to the stables. This was news Morgause would want to hear.

He knocked on the door this time, not wanting to risk death again. Once inside, he blurted out the news—that Arthur had consulted with a sorcerer and intended to use magic to heal his father. That actually made Morgause smile determinedly. _Of course_ she'd ensure he'd fail. She found a small silver charm and tossed it into her open fire.

Agravaine watched the fire flare up as she incanted a spell. When it died back down, she reached in with a pair of tongs and pulled out the charm. She turned to Agravaine and dropped it into his hand. He instinctively reached out and caught it, before realizing he should have been burned, but wasn't. In fact, the charm was cold. She explained how he would have to put it around Uther's neck. Any healing magic cast on the King would be reversed and magnified tenfold. Uther would certainly die and a grieving Arthur would blame himself, leaving Camelot vulnerable.

And ripe for the picking.

xxxXxxx

At the same time Merlin was attending Arthur in the morning, Agravaine visited Uther's chambers. Gwen was already there and was surprised to suddenly see Agravaine behind her. He said, "It is cold today. Perhaps it's a good idea to start a fire."

"Of course," Gwen replied. She left to find someone to bring wood.

Agravaine waited until she was gone. He took the charm out of his pocket, then quickly and carefully placed it around Uther's neck. He ensured it was carefully tucked out of sight in Uther's robes. He whispered, "Finally, you will get all that you deserve, _old friend_." He looked down at Uther for a moment then left the room.

In another corridor, Morgana had stationed herself to run into Gwen. There was no one else there, but she pulled her former servant into an alcove to whisper to her. She explained how Arthur and Merlin were planning to heal Uther with magic. Gwen could help by keeping others away from Uther's chambers; Morgana would help her. Gwen quickly agreed to help and was on her way. Morgana grinned and hurried to Gaius's chambers.

She found Merlin and Gaius bent over the table. Gaius was reading a small book. "Gwen will help," she told them.

Merlin looked up at her and smiled. "Thank you Morgana. I'm glad you thought to talk to her. I forgot."

"Merlin," Gaius said, calling his attention back. "You must administer only four drops. Any more could be dangerous."

"Let's hope I can remember the spell."

"You must trust your abilities, Merlin."

They exchanged a worried look then Merlin nodded. "I guess I'd better get my disguise 'on' now." He chuckled and went to his room, closing the door behind him.

Morgana gave Gaius a look and they both ran over to the door to peek. They saw Merlin pour dust into a bowl and utter an incantation, "_Miht dagan, beþecce me. Adeadaþ þisne gast min freondum ond min feondum_." The dust was set on fire and a great cloud of smoke rose up, obscuring their view. Stymied, they went and sat side by side at the table.

A few minutes passed and Merlin's door creaked open. Gaius and Morgana looked up and found their jaws dropping at the sight of a much older Merlin exiting his chamber. They both stood up to get a better look at him. Merlin grunted a bit and said, "You know me better than anyone, Gaius. Do you recognize me?"

"There's something of you in the eyes. But perhaps that's just because I know it's you," the physician replied.

Morgana giggled. "Aw, you look so sweet!"

Merlin glared, but it held no heat. "I can't believe that one day I will actually look like this. _Ah!_ I ache all over."

"Ah. Well, now you know how I feel," Gaius said. He was sure there'd be no more age jokes from Merlin.

Morgana reached up and planted a kiss on Merlin's wrinkly cheek. "Let's go, 'Uncle.'"

Gaius put a hand on his arm and handed him the supplies. "Good luck, Merlin."

Merlin nodded as Morgana took his arm. They walked slowly across the chamber and were soon gone.

xxxXxxx

At the designated time, Arthur walked down the corridor to his father's chambers. He had to dismiss the guards stationed there. If they heard the wrong thing . . . _well, let's not think about that_. The guards hesitated, not expecting that order. He had to fix them with his "ultimate authority" look before they finally departed.

Arthur stood in front of the doors, waiting impatiently. A short time later, Gwen sidled up to him. "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well, you're right. I should be inside. But I'm to be your lookout while, um, _you know_," she said.

"Ah, he told you."

"Morgana did, actually. She's coming too." She broke off for a moment, then started giggling. "Just wait until you see Merlin!"

Arthur quirked an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see." She giggled again and pecked him on the cheek. "I'd better go check on your father. See you in a minute!" And with that, she went inside the room and closed the door behind her.

"Guine_vere_!" he yelled at the door. But she wasn't going to tell him. He turned around as he heard slow footsteps coming down the hall. Well, footsteps accompanied by a kind of shuffling sound. Around the corner came Morgana on the arm of the oldest man he'd ever seen. When they got closer, he stared into the face of the man. _Something about the eyes_ . . . "Merlin, is that _you_?"

"Well of course it's me. Do you know anyone else who'd age themselves over fifty years for you?" Merlin replied.

"I see your sense of humor, or lack thereof, didn't change as much as your appearance." Merlin just glared viciously.

"Gentlemen," Morgana said, "I believe you have things to do."

"So we do," Arthur agreed. He opened the door and ushered Merlin in.

Gwen came over and embraced Arthur, planting a kiss on his cheek. She kissed Merlin's cheek too and said, "Good luck," before giggling all the way out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>I apologize for cutting the scene there; it's awkward but the best option available, believe me. Thanks for reading! :) Next up: <em>sturm und drang<em>, aka angst. Yes, I know I technically misused the term. I have a BA in humanities. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm amazed no one called me evil for the cliffhanger, but maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought? :) Review replies:**

**Mike3207- Ah, you shall see. :)**

**MerlinMorgana1579- I hope your throat's ok LOL! Well, he does make a cute old man, especially when he scrunches up his face. ;)**

**sjritts- Ah, I see you're thinking ahead. I will always twist the plot to my own will, but I do love that iconic moment. :)**

**CHARLES CHUKU- Thank you! You'll see Arthur's reaction here and in the next chapter. :)**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Hahaha. I hope I don't disappoint you. ;)**

**Guest- Well, I do despise Uther, but I also cut him some slack. Read on. :)**

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><p>The two men looked at the King. He lay in bed, barely breathing. They walked over, stationing themselves on opposite sides of the bed. Merlin put his supplies down on the bedside table and contemplated Uther. Then he picked up the potion bottle and placed four drops between Uther's lips. He put that down then took a sage branch and held it over the King. Merlin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, they had started to glow. He opened his mouth to speak . . .<p>

"Wait!" Arthur said anxiously.

Merlin paused and looked at Arthur. "Is something wrong?"

"My father taught me never to trust magic, and now I am using it to save him. It's still hard to reconcile that with you and Morgana doing _good_ with magic."

Merlin gave him a dumbfounded look. "You do remember I've saved your life with magic more times than you can possibly imagine?"

"I remember. But how can I be sure it's the right thing to do?"

"Look Arthur, I know you've suffered because of magic; many have. But haven't Morgana and I proven that not all magic and not all sorcerers are the same? _You_ asked _me_ to heal him, which means you trusted me then. Trust me now; let me do this."

They stared at each other for a moment, then Arthur nodded and stepped back. Merlin turned to Uther, took another deep breath then held up the sage branch again. Merlin's eyes glowed and the branch began to smoke. He waved this incense over Uther and began to chant, with increasing intensity, "_Efencume . . . ætgædre, eala gastas cræft ige: gestrice þis lic forod_."

Merlin's eyes glowed as he completed the spell. There was silence. The tension in the room rose as Arthur looked at Uther, desperately hoping to see some sign of recovery. For a moment it looked like the spell had failed and Merlin grew anxious. Suddenly Uther's eyes snapped open and he inhaled deeply. Trying to contain his excitement, Arthur said, "Father . . . _Father_?"

Uther reached for Arthur's hand and took it. He smiled weakly and said, "Arthur . . ."

Arthur laughed in relief, all of the tension and despair of the last couple of days draining from him. Merlin allowed himself to smile too; he was nearly overcome with relief. But as Uther looked up at Arthur, his expression suddenly contorted in pain and his breathing started to fail.

Arthur was instantly alarmed. "What's happening!?"

Merlin was equally alarmed. "I don't know . . ."

Uther was in a lot of pain and fading fast. "_Do something!_" He yelled at Merlin.

But Uther went still. Merlin felt for a pulse and found none. He nearly fell over in shock. "He's dead."

Arthur struggled to accept this; his shock was too great. "No . . . He can't be . . . _Father_ . . ." He broke off to shake the King. "Father!? . ." He abruptly realized how futile his actions were and stopped. Then he stared at Uther, trying to process what had just happened. That's when he turned to Merlin, looking more hurt and angry than the warlock had ever seen him. All Merlin could do was look on, horrified. "What have you _done_?"

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Merlin replied, shaking his head repeatedly.

"I trusted you, but you have killed him . . . You killed him!"

"No . . . Arthur, you have to believe me. It was a healing spell—he was getting better."

Arthur snorted angrily. "You call this 'getting better?'"

"Please, Arthur, just let me go get Gaius . . ."

"Go!" he sobbed. "Just go . . . I don't want to see you for a while."

Merlin hurried out of the room as fast as his ancient legs could carry him. Morgana was just down the corridor and looked at him. When she saw the devastated look on his face, she hurried up to him. "Merlin, what happened, what's . . ."

He looked right at her, his expression conveying the horror of his experience to her; it cut her off abruptly. He took her hands and looked down for a few moments before looking back up at her. "Morgana, I . . . I don't know how to say this, how to make it easier . . . but the King's dead."

Morgana stared at him blankly, her mouth falling open. "_What?!_ No . . . he can't be. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. And I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what went wrong . . ."

"No . . ."

He put his hand on her face and said quietly, "It's true. Go see for yourself, if you want."

Gwen came running up behind them. "Hey, how did it go? Is everything . . ." Merlin moved aside and she got a good look at Morgana's face. "Oh no." She looked at Merlin. "Is he . . ." Merlin nodded. "Oh Merlin." She gave him a quick hug and turned to her former mistress, "Morgana . . ." Morgana's face crumpled and Gwen threw her arms around her.

Merlin looked at them sadly. "Take Morgana and go to Arthur. They need you." She looked at him with a question in her eyes. "I'm going back to Gaius's, to . . . to change. Let me know when he wants to see me again." She started to say something, but he cut her off with a look. She nodded and opened the door to let herself and Morgana in.

Merlin turned and began walking slowly back to his mentor's chambers. He was trying to fight the numbness that wanted to spread over him, but didn't have much hope he'd win.

xxxXxxx

Gwen's arm remained around Morgana, but they both paused when they saw Arthur. He didn't see them enter; his focus was on his father. He murmured words they couldn't hear and knelt on the floor at Uther's bedside. Tears ran down his face as he clutched his father's hand.

Morgana flew across the room to her brother. Gwen's hands covered her mouth in horror and she shook her head. She joined her former mistress at Arthur's side. They put their arms around his shoulders and just held him. Morgana cried silently while Gwen attempted to fight off tears. No one said anything until Arthur made a move to stand up. The women helped him.

Gwen let Morgana embrace her brother alone and turned to look at the King. Pain was etched across his pale, sweat-soaked face and he was cold to the touch. She reached down and gently pulled the covers from his clenched hands. Here was the man responsible for her father's death; she felt nothing but pity for him. Morgana had told her how he'd regretted executing her father, and that had eased some of the ache over his death. Uther's last act before death was saving his son; that proved he really _had_ loved Arthur. Perhaps he'd earned a bit of redemption in that final act of love.

Arthur finally broke away from Morgana and helped her sit in the chair there. He reached over and touched Gwen's shoulder. She turned to him; tears still ran down his face, but he was silent. She immediately encompassed him in her arms and held him tightly. He held her equally as tight. Soon she felt his shoulders shake again and put a hand into his hair to cradle his head.

She looked down at Morgana. The Lady looked back at her and read her friend's face; she understood. She stood up, put a hand on Arthur's shoulder and murmured a few words to him. He gave a nod and Morgana walked across the room. Arthur was in very good hands now; his future Queen's.

xxxXxxx

Gaius was pacing when Merlin opened the door to their chambers. He started to say something, then caught the look on Merlin's face. The warlock closed the door and locked it, then walked over to the table to sit down. "It didn't work. Uther's dead," he said.

The physician stopped where he was. His mouth fell open for a moment and he said, "I can't believe it."

"The spell was working. I'm _sure_ of it. I did everything right. I don't know what happened."

"What could make it . . .?"

"I don't know. Arthur told me to leave and stay away until he summoned me. He _does_ want to see you though."

"Oh Merlin." He sat next to his ward and put an arm around him. "Why don't you change back? That will rid you of one set of pains."

Merlin nodded and said, "_Edniwe min geoguð._" Nothing happened. "_Edniwe min geoguð!_" he repeated. He looked down at the wrinkled hands in alarm. "_Edniwe min geoguð!_ Gaius, it's not working!" His voice cracked in panic.

Gaius sighed. "I had a feeling this might happen, so I prepared this just in case." He handed Merlin a little bottle of purple liquid. "This will reverse the aging spell."

The warlock downed it gratefully. There was a puff of smoke and some groaning, but when it went away, Merlin sat there at his normal, _young_ age. "Thank you," he said in his older voice. He coughed and cleared his throat. "Thanks." He sounded normal that time.

"You all right?" Gaius asked, and patted Merlin's arm; the young man nodded. "Then I should get up to the King's chambers. Take it easy." He left the room.

Merlin got up and went to his room, flopping onto his bed. Being old had worn him out, but the emotional upheaval he'd gone through had done him in. He laid there for a while, trying to fall asleep. When he finally did, it was a relief.

xxxXxxx

Morgana and Arthur sat in the chairs at Uther's bedside. Gwen stood behind them, a hand on each of their shoulders. A knock sounded at the door, and Gwen called out, "Enter."

Gaius came in and closed the door behind him. He walked straight over to the bed and began examining Uther. He watched his chest for breathing then held a metal plate over the King's mouth and nose. No condensation formed. He felt in several places for a pulse and found none. Then he reached up and closed Uther's eyes.

He looked up at the three younger people, who already looked traumatized. "I'm sorry, Arthur. . . The King is dead."

Arthur looked absolutely stricken, but shook his head. Gaius knew Arthur didn't want to accept this, but he also saw the tear tracks on Arthur's face.

Gaius started to cover Uther's face with the sheet, but paused as he thought of something. He began searching in and under King's clothing. Arthur was about to object, when Gaius uttered a quiet, "Ah." He worked at the King's neck for a moment then pulled something away from it.

"What is _that_?" Morgana asked.

Gaius opened his hand to reveal a small, silver charm. "I assume none of you have seen this before?" Arthur, Morgana and Gwen nodded. "This was around Uther's neck; it's been enchanted. Such an enchantment would reverse the effects of Merlin's healing spell. Uther didn't stand a chance."

Arthur was suddenly angry. "Who could have done this?"

Morgana and Gaius shared a look. Arthur didn't need to find out now- just after his father died -that his uncle was a traitor. So Gaius told a partial truth. "Arthur, I suspect Morgause had a hand in this."

"_Morgause?_ When?"

"I'm not sure. But we can worry about her another time. There is much that needs to be done."

Arthur suddenly remembered his servant. "Merlin . . . oh no. I practically threw him out of here. He must be so upset . . ."

"Sire, I suspect he's probably having a nap. Aging oneself and holding it for as long as he did would cause extreme fatigue. I'll let him know you want to see him?" Arthur nodded. "All right then. I'll notify those who will need to speak to you and see you sometime later." He bowed and left the room.

Morgana wanted to get up and follow him, but stayed where she was. Merlin was probably as tired as Gaius had said, and even if he wasn't, he needed time to work through the emotional stress. He was too empathetic for his own good sometimes.

xxxXxxx

A couple hours later, Gaius walked wearily back to his chambers. The news of the King's death would spread quickly now, and things had already been put into motion. He opened the door and closed it behind him. He looked back to Merlin's chamber and saw him on the bed, probably asleep. Though he hated to do it, Merlin needed to be woken. The physician walked to his ward's bedside and shook his shoulder.

"Wha? Huh?" He looked up at Gaius. "I fell asleep?"

Gaius chuckled. "Apparently."

Merlin shook his head and sat up, then remembered. "Arthur?"

"He's fine. Well, as fine as could be expected under the circumstances. He's about to become very busy, but he does want to see you."

"He forgives me? But how? I still don't know what happened."

"I think I do." He showed Merlin the charm he'd found on Uther. "I found it round Uther's neck. It was enchanted to reverse the effects of your healing spell. It's incredible he woke at all."

Merlin thought for a moment. "Morgause . . ."

"I believe so. Probably with Agravaine's help."

Merlin stood up. "I've got to talk to Arthur, make sure he's okay."

"I'm not sure he's in a position to talk right now. He is being subjected to several official meetings to help him deal with his change in status. Uther is being prepared to lie in state and Arthur will hold a vigil by his side all night. Alone."

"Well that's . . ."

"It's tradition."

"I was going to say _gruesome_."

"Ah. Yes."

Merlin thought of something. "Where will Uther's body be placed?"

"The throne room."

"Okay. Then I'll go wait for him there."

"You're going to be waiting for a long time."

"I know, but I want him to know I'm here for him."

"I'll bring you some supper there."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading y'all! Next up: fallout, inebriated!Arthur, and intro to the worst candidate for dragonlord <em>ever<em>.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello again everyone! Enjoy Chapter 12. :) Review replies:**

**CHARLES CHUKU- Hehe call the guards in to see a bit of magic? Even Arty has enough sense to avoid outing his BFF.**

**MerlinMorgana1579- You know I like messing with your mind, right? ;) Falling action rather than fallout, and you'll see what I mean about the fake "dragonlord," lol.**

**yesthenLucky9- I do sad; sad is my old friend. :) And thanks!**

**sjritts- It's true, they did waste a lot of time keeping the secret. I would've had him find out at the end of S3 so they could have maximum fun in 4&5. Showing how Morgana's allegiance and Arthur's knowledge changes things is one of my goals and I hope to make that clearer as the story goes on. You reminding me helps me think how to do it. :)**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- It helps that Arthur trusts the magician. This chapter has some nice bromance-y feels 'n' stuff before the next insanity begins. :)**

**Guest- Oh good! :) As I revise I do plan more Arwen. I wrote the first draft in a hurry for NaNoWriMo, so now I can go back and add some fluffy feels. **

**Lady Flurryous- Lots of love goin' on in my antechamber, lol. That's a good point about Morgana though. I thought it was more of a past-king/future-king sort of tradition thingy, but maybe not. Hm.**

**Mike3207- Yes, I did reveal Morgana's parentage near the end of _Change of Heart_. And you're right- loss doesn't go away, but it gets easier to bear when you grieve.**

**Whovain101- Thanks! Oh darn, I should have had him insult Arty a bit!**

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><p>Merlin walked to the antechamber of the throne room and sat on a ledge. Eventually Gwen found him there and sat beside him. She gave him a hug, which he returned for a few moments. When she pulled back, she took his hand. They stayed that way, not talking much, until Gaius brought supper. After they finished, the physician took the empty dishes away, but came back and stayed with them.<p>

About an hour later, a procession came down the stairs. Merlin, Gwen and Gaius stood as soon as they saw it. Several knights bore Uther's body on a litter. Behind it came Arthur and Morgana. She looked beautiful, even in her black gown. Merlin stared at Arthur, hoping to make eye contact. When they did, there was no anger in Arthur's eyes, and he nodded at Merlin.

When Morgana reached the bottom of the stairs, she came over to the three waiting. Arthur followed the knights in, but stayed by the door as they settled Uther on the bier there. Gaius hurried in to make sure everything was laid right. He followed the knights out of the room and nodded at Arthur, who walked further into the room. He turned to nod to the men behind him and a pair of knights closed the doors on him.

The knights left and Gaius wisely asked Gwen to help him with something in his chambers. He could see that Morgana wanted to talk to Merlin alone; they hadn't seen each other all day.

After Gaius and Gwen were gone, Morgana sat next to Merlin. She slid her arms around him. He put his around her to pull her a little closer. He buried his face in her hair and they stayed like that for a few minutes. She pulled back a little and looked at his face—he'd closed his eyes and looked to be at war with himself.

"_Merlin . . ?_" she spoke into his mind.

"_This is all my fault. I killed him_."

"_No. _You_ didn't kill him. Morgause, Agravaine and Odin did. Arthur knows that_." Merlin thought about that. "_We must look to the future now. Uther's death allows Arthur's progression to the throne. It's what we've been waiting for! We _know_ it will bring peace and stability to the land_."

"_I know. It's just hard to imagine right now, in the middle of this_ . . ."

She took his face in her hands. "_Our time will come. I'm sure of it. But Arthur will be under even more pressure now that he's King. He'll need us more than ever_."

"_You're right. Thank you love_." He leaned forward and kissed her enthusiastically. After a moment, he pulled her onto his lap and licked at her lips. She opened her mouth and their tongues tangled until they heard a noise in the next corridor.

They sprung apart, but he kept her hand in his. "There's nothing more to be done. Let's go talk somewhere else."

"I think I'll wait here."

"Why?

"I want to be here for him."

"You know he'll be in there all night, right?"

"Yes. I just want him to know he's not alone.

She caressed his face and gave him a quick but firm kiss. "All right. But at least _try_ to sleep, okay?"

"Yes mum."

She pinched his cheek and began the walk back to her chambers. Merlin was left to his long wait with a slightly-less-heavy heart.

xxxXxxx

Sometime in the night, Merlin got up and moved to sit on the floor in front of the doors. He leaned against the wall and neither tried to stay awake nor attempted to fall asleep. Though by sunrise, he figured he'd probably dozed a few times.

So when sunlight suddenly streamed into his face, he was startled. And then he heard, "Merlin?" The man in question turned to look up into the middle of the sunlight and found Arthur standing over him.

Arthur looked calm and composed, almost serene. They stared at each other for a moment until Arthur turned his head to look at the light flooding in through the window. "It is a new day," he said. Merlin stood and stretched. "You been here all night?"

"I didn't want you to feel that you were alone," Merlin replied.

Arthur's face softened. "You're a loyal friend, Merlin." He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I want you to know that I don't blame you for what happened, and you shouldn't blame yourself. Gaius showed me that charm."

"Oh." And just like that, a weight lifted off Merlin's shoulders.

Arthur turned and closed the throne room doors. He then took a breath. "You must be hungry."

"Starving."

"Me too . . . Come on. You can make us some breakfast." They headed up the stairs. On the way to Arthur's chambers, they passed through the kitchens, where Merlin collected enough food for two. It was going to be a long day.

xxxXxxx

Arthur's coronation was set for the second day after his vigil; the future King did need his sleep after all. Coronation Day dawned bright and beautiful as if Nature herself approved of the day's events. Excited villagers headed up to the palace; today they were welcome to witness the grand occasion.

Soon the throne room was as full as it could possibly get. Courtiers and commoners alike bowed as Arthur strode up the aisle to the dais and the throne. An air of excitement and anticipation filled the room. Morgana, Merlin, Gwen, Gaius, and all the knights closest to Arthur stood near the front. When Arthur reached the dais, he knelt next to Sir Geoffrey of Monmouth. Sir Geoffrey held the crown in his hands and started to speak.

"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of Camelot according to their respective laws and customs?"

"I solemnly swear so to do," Arthur replied.

"Will you to your power cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?"

"I will."

"Then by the sacred laws vested in me, I crown you Arthur, King of Camelot!" Geoffrey placed the crown upon Arthur's head. The new King stood and looked out over his people.

"Long live the King!" Agravaine proclaimed.

Everyone in the throne room responded. "Long live the King! Long live the King! Long live the King! Long live the King! Long live the King! Long live the king! Long live the King! Long live the King!"

Arthur stood there, feeling several emotions at once. But mostly he felt the heavy weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. _All of this, what I can see, is my responsibility. And there's so much more out there I _can't_ see that is my responsibility_. He looked down at his best friend and his sister, holding hands. They hadn't joined in the cheers and applause; they just smiled up at him as if to say, _we're here for you and always remember— you're not alone_.

He allowed himself to smile then, and walked down the steps to receive the well-wishes of his people. He really _wasn't_ alone; he never had been.

xxxXxxx

Late that night, after the celebratory feast, Merlin and Morgana walked Arthur to his chambers. The King was feeling rather mellow, mostly due to a fair bit of wine. He was feeling rather fond of his friends when he was struck by an idea. "Hey you two, I'm going to give you a present."

Merlin and Morgana looked at each other. They hadn't thought he was that drunk, but maybe they'd underestimated his intake. "And what will that be?" Morgana asked.

"I am going to turn over the law banning magic. _Tomorrow!_"

Now the two sober friends looked at each other (and around the corridor) in alarm. Merlin spoke. "Um, Arthur? Not that we're not grateful . . ."

"Because we are," Morgana added hastily.

"_Really_ grateful. But are you sure you want to do it all at once?" Merlin finished.

"What do you mean?" They'd reached his chambers and went inside, bolting the door behind them.

"Well, your people have lived with the ban on magic for about twenty-five years. They might be upset if you suddenly undid that all at once. Especially on the second day of your reign," Morgana said. She and Merlin had already talked quite extensively on this subject.

"How about changing the law one step at a time, so they have a chance to get used to the idea?" Merlin suggested.

"I like that! Hey, how about I make you two advisors? Then you can officially help me with magic-y things," Arthur declared.

Merlin and Morgana sent each other panicked looks. "That's a good idea Arthur. How about we help you figure out how to do it first, but in secret? We're not quite ready to have our magic revealed to the world yet." Morgana said. "_He's definitely drunker than we thought_," she sent to Merlin.

"_Unfortunately, I agree_," he replied. Out loud he said, "_Your Majesty_, you've had a _really_ long day. Why don't I help you get ready for bed? I doubt anyone will mind if you want to sleep in a little longer tomorrow."

"_Great_ idea _Mer_lin. Wait, are you mocking me?"

"Mock_ you?_ I would never."

"Good. 'Bout time you gave me some respect." Turning to his sister, he said, "Now Morgana, not to be rude, but _get out_."

"What's the matter? Don't want me to see what you've got?" she replied with a smirk.

"_Morgana_ . . ." the mighty King whined.

"Oh all right, you don't need to whine. Goodnight, Your Majesty." She gave him a very elegant curtsy which was ruined by her smirk. Arthur didn't notice. "_See you later, love_."

"_Yes, you will_. Okay _King_ Arthur, let's get you to bed."

Once Arthur was asleep, Merlin left him to walk to Morgana's chambers. He knocked on her door and she opened it almost instantly. She dragged him in and threw her arms around him. "We made it!" she said.

"Yeah, we certainly did," he replied. Then he caressed her face and brought it closer for a kiss.

When they parted, she led him over to the bed. She pushed the pillows up next to the headboard and they sat against them, next to each other. They wrapped their arms around each other, kissing and talking until they fell asleep.

xxxXxxx

As soon as the King had left the feast, Agravaine excused himself. He visited his chambers briefly to pick up his cloak, then walked to the stables to saddle his horse. It was time to report everything to Morgause. He just hoped she wouldn't take her anger out on him.

The sorceress was sitting in a chair by her fire. "What news, Agravaine?"

"Good and bad," he replied.

"Uther's dead, isn't he?"

"How did you know?"

"I _am_ a seeress." She didn't seem particularly moved.

"I thought Uther's death would be cause for celebration?"

"Arthur has probably already replaced him. There'll be no celebration until I take Camelot and rid the world of those cursed Pendragons."

"That might be sooner than you think. Arthur is young, untested. He will look to his trusted uncle for counsel. And I will ensure that he fails." He smirked.

Morgause raised an eyebrow at him and smiled. "See that you do. I will be waiting."

xxxXxxx

Arthur was a bit mortified the next day, but he honestly _did_ want to change the law. He agreed that it should be done in steps, so a part of every day after that he met with his "magic council" to form a plan. Hopefully his non-magical citizens wouldn't run screaming and the magical ones would be prudent.

About a week after the coronation, Merlin was almost asleep in his bed at night when someone knocked at Gaius's door. It was much too late for civilized company to come calling, so Merlin was curious to find out who it was. He got up and peeked through the slits in his door to watch.

Gaius opened the door to a middle-aged man. The physician gave the man a dirty look; of course he remembered the man who'd fled Camelot at the beginning of the Purge. He'd left Gaius in a lot of trouble. He finally let the man in, but demanded to know why he'd returned.

The man reached into his cloak and pulled out two pieces of curious-looking metal. He informed Gaius that it was the Triskelion of Ashkanar. Gaius grabbed his spectacles from the nearby table and took the metal bits. As he examined them, he saw druidic runes. The mystery man explained that they'd guide the bearer to the Tomb of Ashkanar, which was said to contain a dragon's egg. _A dragon's egg?!_ Merlin was beside himself.

Gaius guessed that the man wanted to steal the egg, but reminded him that he was missing a piece of the Triskelion. Then the man revealed the real reason he'd come to Camelot—the last piece was in the castle's vaults and he wanted Gaius's help to get it. Though Gaius looked intrigued, Merlin could tell he was skeptical. He refused to help the man and advised him to leave.

The man was genuinely shocked, but didn't look like the type to give up so easily. He insisted that he was a changed man and wouldn't cause any more trouble. But Gaius still declined, so the man told him he'd be in the tavern in the lower town if Gaius changed his mind. He then departed.

As soon as he left, Merlin came out of his room. "Who was that?" he asked.

"Oh, it doesn't matter," Gaius replied.

"Gaius," he said, reproach in his voice.

The physician sighed. "He was a pupil. His name is Julius Borden."

"Why won't you help him? This is our one chance of saving the dragons, of helping Kilgharrah preserve his kind."

"Borden is _not_ a man to be trusted."

_ How so?_ "You don't think the Triskelion is real?"

"That I have no doubt."

"Then what?" _What is his problem with this?_

"His motives, Merlin. Even as a young man he was prone to dishonesty. Who knows what path he is on now?"

_But—a dragon!_ "You _want_ the egg to remain lost forever."

"I don't want it to get into Borden's hands! The Tomb of Ashkanar has lain untouched for more than four hundred years. It is my belief it should remain that way. Now let's get some sleep. We've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

Merlin went back to his room, but he didn't go back to sleep. He waited until Gaius was settled in bed and asleep then put on his boots and jacket to sneak out of the castle.

Once in the woods, he started running for the clearing, calling to Kilgharrah on the way. The dragon was waiting for him when he got to the clearing. He quickly explained Gaius and Borden's conversation to Kilgharrah.

"I never dared dream of such a moment, Merlin," the dragon replied, shock and wonder in his voice. Merlin chuckled delightedly. "Until now, I believed the egg would never be found, that I would be the last of my kind."

"So the legend is true?"

"This is a chance in a thousand, Merlin. You _must_ retrieve the egg."

"I know."

The dragon heard the trepidation in his voice. "Then what is the matter?"

"Gaius has forbidden it." _Yikes, that sounded really childish_.

He could see Kilgharrah's righteous indignation. "_Merlin!_ You are a _dragonlord_! It is a gift passed down from your father. He gave up _everything_ in his life to save me. What do you think _he_ would say? The egg harbors the last of my kind. I beg you, Merlin. In your father's name, promise me that you will do _everything_ in your power to rescue it." His voice had softened to pleading at the end.

_Kilgharrah still knew how to form a moving argument_. "You have my promise."

The dragon bowed his head gratefully, thanked Merlin and flew away. Merlin walked back to the castle, contemplating the best way to achieve his goal. He'd probably have to do a couple of really stupidly humiliating things, but it should all work out.

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><p><strong>Sooo, Borden. I despised that guy; he must have had a massive Napoleon complex. Next: Gaius and Morgana "interfere" with Merlin's half- $$ed plan. :D Thanks for reading!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello readers! I apologize for the wait- my computer decided to get sick, so I've been working off my iPad mini lol! Review replies will have to wait too, I'm sorry. :( But thanks to all who reviewed, favorited and followed so far!**

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><p>After Merlin went to Arthur in the morning, Gaius paid a visit to Morgana. Gwen was with her, but that mattered little. In fact, Gwen could assist Morgana if needed.<p>

Morgana looked up from her breakfast when Gwen let him in. "Gaius, I didn't expect to see you this morning," she said.

"No, My Lady, but I have a request to make of you," he replied.

She looked puzzled, but said, "Please sit down." When he was sitting, she continued. "What is it? You look worried."

"I'm afraid Merlin is about to do something rather impulsive."

"You'll have to be more specific." She quirked an eyebrow at him.

He gave her _his_ Eyebrow. "Last night I had a visitor, an old pupil of mine. He had to leave Camelot in a hurry the last time I saw him. He has some magic, but it was his dishonesty that made him flee. I had to deal with the mess he'd left behind, and now he's back to cause another."

"How does this involve Merlin?"

"Borden has two out of three pieces of a key that will open a tomb rumored to contain a dragon's egg." Morgana and Gwen inhaled sharply. "The third piece is in the vaults. I declined to help, but Merlin knows the story now, and being a dragonlord …"

"He feels obligated to rescue the egg himself."

"Yes. And he's right. If he'd found the key on his own, I'd have no problem with this. But Borden's involved, and I doubt he wants what's best for that baby dragon."

"Okay, but Merlin could stop him, right?" Gwen asked.

"That's the thing. I think Borden just wants to use someone for their knowledge and leave them behind to take the blame. I fear he'll use Merlin, and Merlin's desperate enough to let him."

"I see. We certainly don't need him in any more trouble," Morgana said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Could you, or maybe Gwen, follow him if he leaves the castle? Borden's staying at The Rising Sun and Merlin may decide to talk to him there. I'm afraid Borden may hurt him if he doesn't like what Merlin has to say."

"All right. I'll see if I can talk some sense into him too. He may take it better coming from me."

"I have no doubt of that." Gaius smiled and patted her hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I do have an interest in his wellbeing, after all." She smirked.

"That you do. Be careful Morgana. Have a lovely day."

"Thank you Gaius."

After he left, Morgana and Gwen took turns watching for Merlin from the window. The one not watching would go waylay him. Both of their cloaks lay on the bed so they could leave without delay. Gwen was watching when she said, "There he goes!"

Morgana threw on her cloak and ran out the door. On her way, she pulled up the hood. He was indeed headed to the inn. She followed him inside and stopped in a convenient shadow when he knocked on one of the doors. No one answered, so he went inside. She was startled when the door abruptly slammed and she heard the sound of a body hitting the wall next to it. _He'd been ambushed_.

She ran to the door and peeked through it, readying an offensive spell in case she needed it. A strange man had pinned Merlin against the wall and had a dagger at his throat. "What do you want?" he asked.

"To help you," Merlin choked out.

"Who are you?"

"A friend of Gaius. I heard what you told him. I want to see a dragon's egg. I want to come with you."

"Did he send you?"

"No."

"No?" Borden let Merlin go and opened the door. Morgana darted back to the shadows. "Then get out."

"Please, I know everything about dragons. I've read everything there is."

"Not interested. Go away." Borden grabbed Merlin's shirt and shoved him out. Morgana wanted to smack Borden for that.

"All right, but you won't get into the vaults without me."

Borden scoffed. "And how's a boy like you gonna help?"

"Because I'm the personal servant of King Arthur."

Borden smiled and pulled Merlin back into the room. Morgana heard them talking but didn't go back to the door to hear. They were probably forming a plan that included Borden promising to take Merlin if he did what Borden wanted. _That's disgusting_. She left to wait outside the inn's door so she could catch Merlin on his way out.

After several minutes, Merlin exited the inn. Morgana walked up behind him, grabbed his arm and yanked him down the nearest deserted alley. He protested heavily and tried to get away but she didn't let go. Once they were in the alley, she pushed him against the wall and locked their lips.

"What are you … who …" he got out before he recognized her lips and relaxed into the kiss.

When she broke it, she flipped her hood down. "Hi there," she said, smirking.

"Morgana, what are you doing down here?"

"Oh, just following you. Gaius asked me to."

"Gaius, oh great." He groaned then continued, "He told you about the egg, didn't he?"

"Yes, and I _am_ in favor of _you_ finding it. But I'm not in favor of him using you."

"We don't know that he'll—"

She cut him off. "Merlin, I know you like to think the best of people, and I love that about you." She put her hand to his face. "But I've lived in this court for a long time now and have seen how people can manipulate others and let them take the blame if something goes wrong."

Merlin gave her a skeptical look. "He knows where the tomb is and I can get to the egg before him."

"So he's agreed to take you?"

"Yes."

"What's the plan? You get him to the vaults where he can get what he needs and you'll go with him when he leaves?" He nodded. "Merlin, love, that's too vague a plan. At any point in there he could incapacitate you and leave you behind. And you'd have to deceive Arthur. Is it worth that when we could twist this to our advantage?"

She could see him turning that around in his head. "Okay, so what do you suggest?"

"Um, well, first off, we should tell Arthur about this. He knows that dragons aren't vicious, bloodthirsty, mindless monsters. I think he'd help you out."

"Okay, fine. We'll tell him. But whatever he decides, I _will_ go after the egg."

"I'd expect nothing less." She gave him another kiss, lifted her hood and they were off, heading back to the castle.

xxxXxxx

By the time they got back, it was lunchtime. Merlin brought the King his lunch, accompanied by Gaius and Morgana. Arthur was sitting at his desk with a bit of paperwork. When he saw them, he decided to joke, "What is this, a magical ambush?"

The three looked at each other but didn't laugh. "It's just lunch, Arthur," Merlin said, sitting it down in front of him.

The King scowled. "All right. But you three clearly have something on your minds. Enlighten me while I eat."

Gaius began by telling about his history with Julius Borden. He shared how he'd come to visit last night, what he wanted and where he was now. Merlin told how he'd heard the whole story, how he'd gone to visit Borden and what they'd planned. Morgana shared her part in it, especially how she'd talked Merlin into telling the King.

By the time they'd concluded, Arthur had finished eating and leaned back in his chair. "So this unscrupulous 'gentleman' wants to get into the vaults for the last part of a key that opens the door to a dragon's egg."

"That sums it up, sire," Gaius replied.

"Obviously we want to keep the egg out of his hands. He's likely to sell it to the highest bidder or try to hatch it himself," Arthur said.

"He won't be able to hatch it, I'm pretty sure," Merlin added.

"How _does_ a dragon's egg hatch?" Morgana wondered.

"I'm not sure. Kilgharrah neglected to tell me that."

"All right, we need a plan," Arthur mused. He thought for a minute, then said, "Merlin, you're going to give him what he wants. We'll be ready to follow him whenever he leaves after that. Hopefully he'll never know we're there and we can get the drop on him before he enters the tomb."

"Okay," Merlin said, "in that case, I'll need the key to the vaults." He held out his hand.

"Why do you need the key? Can't you just …" Arthur made a wiggling motion with his fingers.

"Oh sure, if I want him to know about my _magic_."

"Ah, good point." Arthur pulled at his key ring and disconnected his key. "Don't lose it," he said, handing it to his servant.

Merlin rolled his eyes and said, "As if."

Arthur glared. "So, you're getting him in tonight?"

"That's the plan."

"Okay. Well, you'll need this key too." He handed another to Merlin. "Go pack for the two of us. I'll notify the Round Table to be ready by tonight."

xxxXxxx

Merlin carried out his extra tasks and his usual tasks without much trouble. As he was walking to meet Borden, a hand reached out from an alcove and yanked him inside it. "Hello love," Morgana purred.

"I'll never get used to you doing that," Merlin replied.

"Good." She stretched up to kiss him and put her arms around his neck.

He relaxed into the kiss, put his arms around her and walked her back until her back met the wall. They remained that way for a minute or two before he broke away to say, "You're making it hard for me to leave."

"That's the idea," she replied, and attacked his lips again.

He moved his hands down to her hips and his mouth down to her neck. "I'm going to be late."

"Be late then." She slid her hands down his chest slowly, resting them on his lower back. He moaned quietly and moved his mouth back up to hers.

He used his grip on her hips to gently push himself away. She stared at him with hazy, dissatisfied eyes. He put a finger on her lips. "I'll be back soon," he said gently, and reached down to give her one more quick kiss.

"Be safe," she replied.

"Always." He stepped out of the alcove and was gone.

Merlin walked around to the castle's outer wall. Borden was waiting there, but made no comment on his timing. The servant pulled out his borrowed keys and let Borden and himself in."I'm beginning to like you, Merlin," Borden commented.

He closed the door behind them and went down the stairs toward the vaults. Merlin stopped part way down. "This is as far as I go. And this key opens the last gate. But you have to get past the guards."

Borden took the key. "That won't be a problem." He disappeared and was gone for several minutes.

Merlin heard the guards fall to the floor, but no other sound until Borden returned. He started to say something but stopped when they heard a guard say, "To the right."

"Follow me," Merlin whispered. He led Borden back the way they'd come, opening the door to get out. They stood there for a few minutes, trying to catch their breath.

"Thanks," Borden said.

"Anytime."

"Tell me, Merlin, would you say you're a good liar?"

"Yeah, if I need to be."

Borden hit him then and the world went black.

xxxXxxx

Merlin woke to someone shaking him and calling his name. "Just a few more minutes Gaius," he said weakly.

"Merlin, get up. We need to leave," Arthur's voice said.

Merlin opened his eyes and noticed his position. His legs were hanging out of the wall doorway, but it was still dark. He groaned and started to get up; something metallic- _the keys_ -dropped to the floor. He realized what had happened and groaned again. Then he stood up and locked the door. "He's gone, isn't he?" he asked.

"Yes. When you didn't come back, we came out to find you."

Merlin looked behind Arthur to see Gwaine, Elyan, Percival, and Leon. "Great. Public humiliation." Luckily the knights had the decency to not laugh at his misfortune. "You can have your keys back." He handed the keys back to the King.

"All right, let's get back to the stables so we can leave," Arthur said. Everyone trooped back the way they'd come then down to the stables. The already-packed horses were led into the courtyard. They mounted and rode out of Camelot, the full moon lighting their way.

Arthur's group followed Borden's trail until they could no longer see. So they stopped and camped, determined to get a few hours' sleep before leaving early enough to gain on him.

In the morning, they cleared up quickly and rode away, still following Borden's tracks. They reached a hill overlooking a wooded valley. Arthur dismounted to find tracks leading down into the valley. "Same hoof prints. We must be closing on him."

"Look," Merlin said, pointing to something the others, looking at the ground, hadn't seen. A pillar of smoke rose from the woods. "He made camp. Ya!" He nudged his horse into riding down the slope. The others followed.

Not long later, they came to the remains of Borden's camp. Arthur dismounted to check the campfire ashes. "It's still warm."

"He can't have more than a few hours' lead on us," Elyan commented.

"We need to keep moving," Arthur stated.

Everyone got back on their horses and they rode off again. For the rest of the day, they rode, following tracks and signs of Borden's passage. They occasionally stopped to eat and rest themselves and the horses. Shortly before sunset, Arthur dismounted again to check for tracks.

"Deer tracks," was the verdict.

"We lost him?" Leon asked.

"It's getting too dark to see. We have to find somewhere to hole up for the night," the King replied.

"But we're so close to him," Merlin said.

"Unless you can see in the dark, Merlin, there's not much else we can do." He gave Merlin a pointed look and came closer to whisper to him. "You can't see in the dark, can you?"

"I don't know. I haven't tried that yet," Merlin whispered back.

Everyone else dismounted and began setting up camp. Merlin concentrated on setting up the fire and cooking dinner. The knights might be fearless defenders of the realm, but they couldn't cook to save their lives. By the time he was done, they were sitting on a fallen log and horsing around. But they had their bowls ready when he came over with the pot.

He served Percival, Elyan and Arthur with no complaint, but Leon stopped him with, "Whoa. I'm famished." So Merlin gave him more and the knight thanked him.

When he tried to go back to his bowl, Gwaine snagged his arm. "Ah, I'm hungry as a horse." Merlin obligingly served him a bit more then walked back to the fire to serve himself. He'd just bent down when Arthur said:

"As a point, Merlin, have you fed them?"

"What?" Merlin replied.

"The horses."

"Well—"

"Come on, they must be starving."

"But—"

"On your toes."

By now, Merlin thought he smelled a rat, but walked away to feed the horses anyway. While with them, he sensed something off, but saw no one. _Probably my overactive imagination_. He finished up with the horses and got back to the fire. Before he could serve himself dinner, Gwaine walked up to him.

"Mmm. That was lovely, Merlin. Thanks," he said, and handed Merlin his empty plate. The others came up behind Gwaine to do likewise.

Arthur handed Merlin the cooking pot. "If you're gonna wash those, wash this, too."

"Thanks," Merlin said sarcastically.

"Hang on, there's still a bit left," Arthur added. He scooped the last of the stew up with the ladle and ate it. Then he nodded and pointed to the pot, "Mmm. Mmm."

"Good, was it?"

"Little bit salty, though," the King commented offhand. He patted Merlin on the arm and walked off.

Merlin, sulking, began trudging away to do the dishes. Leon's voice calling his name made him turn back. The knight chuckled and pulled out Merlin's plate from behind his back, saying, "There's another plate here."

The knights laughed and Merlin couldn't help but join them. He took the plate from Leon and sat down on the log to eat it. When he finished his bit of stew, he took the dishes away and washed them.

By the time he returned, everyone had laid out their bedrolls. He went to get his but found it missing. Gwaine tapped him on the shoulder and pointed; Merlin's bedroll was laid out already. He thanked Gwaine and went to sit then lay on it. After a round of "goodnights" everyone turned in.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading? It's nice to have a chapter with no Agra-pain, isn't it? Next up: Aithusa!<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**OK, this is a little longer than I planned it to be, but I did promise y'all Aithusa. And I have my computer back- it was a fried video card. :P Review replies:**

**mersan123- Thank _you_! I hope you like Aithusa's intro.**

**MerlinMorgana1579- OK, no more jokes about the King's uncle. The dragonlord thing happened at the end of S2, since my fics are canon-compliant thru 3.5. :O Mergana's getting tame? oh oh, maybe I need to fix that.**

**yaissa-chan- I hope this is fast enough for you! Aithusa will be staying with the good guys. :)**

**Lady Flurryous- Arthur knowing about the magic opens up lots of possibilities, it's fun to explore those. And what they can accomplish together. :)**

**sjritts- Yin and yang, yes. That's what I've been going for. And Arthur does mend some fences, or build new bridges. Something like that. :)**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone- Yeah, Merlin spends way too much time pretending to be spineless. He needs help remembering he can be BAMF, hence, Morgana lol. :)**

**HoRnIe DeMoN- Hehehe I'm glad you enjoyed the gratuitous kissing. It really does work to get someone's attention. :)**

**Crazyaniknowit- (ch.2)Thanks! That was one of my favorite scenes to write. ;) (ch12)Oh, she will try to push him over the edge. There's an interesting twist on that coming up in a couple chapters. :)**

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><p>Sometime later, Merlin woke. He'd heard a voice in his mind and it <em>wasn't<em> Morgana's. He turned to look at the knights; they were still asleep. He sat up and listened to the dark. After a few moments, he heard it again. "_Emrys. Emrys_." It sounded familiar.

Merlin stood up, looked around and started walking. He used his mind more than his eyes to sense a trail of magic. Whenever he began to lose it, he heard, "_Emrys_," again and picked it back up.

When it died out completely, he cast a thought out, "_Where are you?_"

The voice responded and he followed it until he found a few hooded figures. One lowered his hood and said out loud, "Do not be afraid. We know your quest." Merlin recognized the voice of the druid who'd given Arthur the Cup of Life.

The Druid explained how Borden had stolen from them and was three hours ahead and to the east of Merlin's group. He also told him how Ashkanar had planned for the future—the Triskelion was a key _and_ a trap. His parting words were confusing though: "Only when the way ahead seems impossible will you have found it."

Merlin glanced at them again before leaving. It was one thing to know you have an important destiny, but it was another to be confronted with it. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the reverence the druids regarded him with. He hadn't done anything to earn it—quite to the contrary, he felt he'd led many to their deaths. But that didn't stop them and he'd learned to live with the uncomfortable feeling that came along with the name _Emrys_.

He got back in his bedroll, but it took him a while to go back to sleep after that.

xxxXxxx

Everyone rose early again in the morning, eager to get going. They rode for a couple of hours before dismounting and tethering the horses. The terrain was about to get much wilder and rougher, so it'd be easier to walk.

They snuck quietly through the woods with swords drawn. Soon they entered an abandoned campsite. Arthur guessed Borden had left in the night, but they found no horse tracks.

Merlin walked off eastward. If the druid was right, there should be signs of Borden's trail in this direction. When Arthur asked where he was going, he merely said "east." The King was puzzled by his answer and asked Merlin how he knew. "Because I can sense it," the warlock replied. He nodded firmly at Arthur, who immediately understood that magic was somehow involved in Merlin's "sense."

He was further validated when Elyan found some horse droppings. Everyone started walking eastward, and they eventually came to a cave with a stream running through it. Arthur concluded that it was a dead end and everyone but Merlin turned back.

Merlin remembered the druid's words, _only when the way ahead seems impossible will you have found it_. He asked, "What about the cave?" Arthur thought Merlin was wasting their time, but then Percival found a muddy footprint by the water.

That decided it—they entered the cave and drew their swords. The group walked and walked, going deeper inside but didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Again Arthur thought Merlin didn't have a clue, but Merlin looked up and noticed light ahead. The group came to a waterfall; Arthur sheathed his sword, put his hand through it and crossed to the other side. Everyone followed to see a large pond, which they had to walk around. "No wonder no one's ever found it," Gwaine commented.

Their journey continued, and not long later they walked down a hill and saw a giant tower. _The tomb_. They continued walking downhill into another forest. After a while, the path led down into a large trench. There was a whistling noise and Percival went down, shot in the leg with an arrow.

Arthur yelled at everyone to take cover. "Where's he firing from?" he wondered, then turned to Leon. "I'll draw fire, get him to safety." He nodded at Percival. The assailant shot at Arthur while Leon helped Percival to his feet and against the wall. Merlin saw Borden move on the ridge and nodded to direct Arthur's eyes to him.

Arthur peeked out for a moment, then motioned a plan to the knights. He sprinted to the other side of the trench and Merlin magically pulled the crossbow out of Borden's hands and smashed it against a tree. Borden ran off just before Arthur reached his former position.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I relieved him of his bow," Merlin chuckled.

Arthur led the group through the woods again, Percival limping along behind. Merlin dashed past Arthur, who called out, "Careful! I know you want to get there before him, but we have other things to consider." He nodded back at Percival. "We'll make camp and continue at dawn."

This evening was began much the same as the last one. The knights sat around while Merlin made dinner—soup. He'd turned to grab his plate; he wanted some before the Knights ate it all. But a quiet plop behind him made him turn back around.

He stirred the soup around and uncovered a small poultice; he picked it up to sniff it and nearly gagged. He looked around and saw Borden climbing down from a tree. "_Arthur, Borden's here_," he thought to the King.

Arthur jumped in surprise, but looked over at Merlin, who nodded. "Dinner's ready," Merlin said.

The knights stood up and walked over with their plates. Once they were in a circle around Merlin, Arthur whispered, "Borden. Where is he?"

"Tree behind me," Merlin whispered. He said louder, "You'll like this, guys—special herbs this time! Now go wash up."

Arthur nodded. "Okay guys, let's go." After they started walking, he spoke quietly. "We'll track him to his camp."

When they reached his camp, Arthur gave silent directions. Percival and Gwaine snuck around behind Borden and the rest walked right into his camp. He was on guard and they briefly attempted conversation while the other two snuck up behind him. He took a step backwards to run, but Percival hit him in the head with the pommel of his sword. The tall knight slung him over his shoulder and they walked back to camp.

They bound his hands and feet together and laid him by the fire. Arthur made to get some soup, but Merlin stopped him. He started over and made another soup. When that was consumed, everyone bedded down for the night.

Merlin checked Borden before he lay down; the man had drifted into a normal sleep. He'd probably have a headache in the morning, but he'd be fine. Then Merlin stretched out on his bedroll, but didn't go to sleep. He'd already decided to sneak off to the tomb after everyone was asleep. Borden had been arrogant enough to keep the Triskelion with him, so Merlin had already appropriated it.

After a couple of hours, Merlin got up and hiked the short distance to the tomb. Inside was a staircase that led to another door; next to the door was a Triskelion-shaped imprint. He climbed the stairs, fitted the Triskelion into the space and twisted. The door opened and Merlin stepped back. Smoke began pouring from an opening just inside and drifted down towards Merlin, who covered his face with his jacket. He held up a hand and said, "_Þrosm tohweorfe!_"

The smoke immediately began dissipating. Merlin picked up a torch lying there, lit it and continued on. Another staircase led upward to a great hall. On a sunlit pedestal in the center sat the dragon egg, shaped like a teardrop. He smiled and walked toward it, putting the torch down on the way.

Just as he touched the egg, an angry voice behind him said, "Give it to me." Borden stood at the top of the staircase. _How the hell—?_

Merlin had lost all patience by now. "It's not yours to take," he replied angrily.

"You give it to me and I will grant you a half-share, Merlin."

"No, it must go free."

"Don't be a fool! Think of the power it could bring us! The lands we can rule over, the riches."

_Why do these people think I'd ever join them?_ "I'm not interested in that."

"With this dragon at our command, we will live like kings. We will have the freedom and power to do as we wish!"

"Dragons cannot be used like that! They must be left unshackled, free to roam the earth."

"But this is your chance, Merlin. Your chance to escape your meaningless life, your worthless existence!"

My _life is meaningless?_ "It's not my life pitiable, it's yours. Wasted . . . for nothing."

Borden grabbed the torch and brandished it at Merlin. "_I_ pieced together the Triskelion. _I_ found the path that led us here! The dragon belongs to _me_! Now, hand it over!"

"No."

The thief swung the torch at Merlin. "You are not gonna stop me, boy!"

"Dragons are magical creatures! They belong to no man!" He stumbled and fell backwards. "They are for the benefit of all!"

Borden scoffed, "What do _you_ know? Huh?! You are but a serving boy!"

_You _really_ want to know?_ "I am the last dragonlord." He watched with grim pleasure as Borden's face fell. "And I am warning you . . . leave this egg alone."

The thief glanced at the egg then tried to hit Merlin with the torch. The warlock magically threw Borden backwards, knocking him against the wall. As Borden crumpled to the floor, Merlin got up and took the egg from its pedestal. The tower began shaking. _That must have triggered another trap_. Merlin ran out without a backward glance, dodging falling rocks. He reached his satchel and put the egg inside seconds before the knights ran up to him.

"What the hell happened?" Arthur asked.

"The tomb was a trap. He set it off. He never got out," Merlin replied.

"What about the egg?"

Merlin shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "It would've perished with him." To Arthur's mind he said, "_I've got it_."

To his credit, Arthur didn't startle this time. "Are you sure? We need to be certain."

Leon, glancing at the tower, said, "Nothing's going to survive under all that."

They stood there and watched the tower collapse completely. After a few minutes, the group wandered back down to their campsite. They had a quick breakfast then packed up to leave. It would be a long couple days back to Camelot.

xxxXxxx

When they reached the citadel and wearily climbed down from their horses, Merlin whispered to Arthur, "Meet me at Gaius's after dinner. Bring Gwen." The King nodded and walked back to his chambers.

Merlin looked up to Morgana's window and thought to her, "_I have a surprise; meet me at Gaius's after dinner_."

"_What is it?_" she replied.

"_You'll see_."

He walked with Gaius back to the physician's chambers. While they walked, he shared the official version of events. Gaius was disappointed, but not surprised. He was sad for Merlin's sake, but relieved that he was all right.

Later, when they were nearly finished with dinner, Gaius decided to draw Merlin out of his silence. He'd been subdued ever since they'd gotten back to their chambers. "Shame about the egg."

"Yes," Merlin replied.

"You weren't able to save it?"

Merlin shook his head. "No."

Gaius watched his ward for a long moment while Merlin cleaned off the table. Just then, there was a knock on the door and the physician called out, "Enter." Morgana let herself in and held the door open—Arthur and Gwen were seconds behind her. She closed the door behind them.

Merlin looked up and Gaius tilted his head in question. The warlock started to grin and Gaius joined him. They started to chuckle. Arthur broke it up by saying, "Are you going to tell us why we're here?"

"Oh yes," Merlin said. He got up and went to his room, returning with his satchel. Morgana, Arthur and Gwen gathered around the table. "All the jewels, all the treasures, they can't compare." He pulled the egg out carefully and handed it to Gaius.

"A thing of beauty," the physician replied. He made to hand the egg to Gwen.

"Oh no, not me. I don't want to get nervous and drop it," she said.

"I'll take it," Arthur said. He took it from Gaius and gently turned it to see all its angles. "It's lighter than I expected. And absolutely amazing." He handed it to Morgana.

"Wonderful," she said, gazing at it in awe. "When it hatches, Kilgharrah won't be alone anymore. Does he know about it?"

Merlin laughed and took it from her. He sat it on the table. "He knows; I told him right after I found out about it." He looked sheepishly at Gaius and placed the egg back on the table.

"So what will you do with it now?" Gaius asked.

"Take it to Kilgharrah so he can tell me how to hatch it."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Arthur asked. "Another dragon . . ."

Morgana grabbed Merlin's hand and glared at Arthur. "He's a dragonlord, I think he can keep it under control."

"You've met Kilgharrah, Arthur, he's not going to teach the baby dragon to hate Camelot while I'm watching. He wouldn't anyway," Merlin added.

"Fine, I get it," the King replied.

"When are you going to do it, Merlin?" Gwen asked.

"Um, tonight? That's kind of why I asked you all here. To see if you want to go with me. It's the last chance to see a dragon hatch."

Morgana, Arthur and Gwen indicated they'd like to go, but Gaius begged off. "Believe it or not, I've seen it before. A _very_ long time ago."

The young people laughed and bid Gaius goodnight. Merlin put the egg back in the satchel and swung the strap over his shoulder. "Let's go see a miracle," he said, and they left the room.

The walk to the clearing seemed to take almost no time. Merlin called Kilgharrah on the way; it made Arthur shudder and say, "That's really sort of terrifying, you know?" Gwen nodded.

Morgana thought to Merlin, "_I think it's pretty sexy myself_." Merlin blushed and was glad it was dark so Arthur and Gwen couldn't see it. At least she hadn't said it out loud.

They'd gotten to the clearing before Kilgharrah, but didn't have to wait long for him. He greeted the four waiting there and looked expectantly at the warlock. Merlin carried his satchel to a tree stump, pulled out the egg and sat it on top of the stump. The dragon's eyes lit up and he smiled in his terrifying way. "Is it still alive?" Merlin asked.

"It can live for more than a thousand years," Kilgharrah replied.

Merlin smiled up at him. "So, you are no longer the last of your kind."

The dragon chuckled. "It would seem not."

"When will it hatch?" Morgana asked.

"Young dragons were called into the world by the dragonlords. Only they had the power to summon them from the egg. As the last dragonlord, this solemn duty falls to you, Merlin."

"How do I summon it?"

"You must give the dragon a name."

Merlin thought for a moment and smiled when he'd decided. He closed his eyes and the other four watched him. When he opened his eyes again, he spoke in the dragon tongue, "**_Aithusa_**."

The egg cracked and the three other humans jumped. Gradually a little nose poked its way out of the shell and cleared the pieces away. It opened its mouth and let out a little growl. "Aww," Gwen and Morgana said together. They crept a bit closer, Arthur following.

"A white dragon is, indeed, a rare thing . . . and fitting. For in the dragon tongue, you named him after the light of the sun. No dragon birth is without meaning." Merlin smiled and found his cheeks wet with happy tears. Kilgharrah continued, "Sometimes the meaning is hard to see, but this time I believe it is clear. The white dragon bodes well for Albion, for you and Arthur, and for the land that you will build together."

Merlin reached out his hands and Aithusa half-flew half-jumped into his arms. He snuggled up to Merlin's chest and made his little growling sound again. Gwen and Morgana crept closer, reaching out hands to touch the baby dragon.

Kilgharrah noticed Arthur hanging back. "Do not worry, young King. This little one will not harm anyone. You should get acquainted with him. Did you not know that 'Pendragon' means 'leader of dragons'?"

"No," Arthur replied, surprised.

"Your forbearers were not dragonlords, but were great friends of them. At their call, the dragonlords rallied the dragons to their righteous causes. And should you have need, Merlin will ask us to do the same."

Arthur was shocked. "Th-thank you Kilgharrah."

Kilgharrah inclined his head. "Of course, Arthur Pendragon."

Arthur then stepped forward, closer to the baby dragon. Morgana and Gwen were still cooing over him, petting him in different places to see what he liked best. The King looked down at Aithusa and said, "Hello, little guy."

Aithusa made an excited noise, flapped his wings and hopped over at Arthur. He hit the King lightly in the chest and Arthur quickly opened his arms to hold him there. The girls giggled and Merlin laughed and said, "Aww, he likes you!"

Arthur scowled but cuddled Aithusa closer. He patted his head and gently touched the fascinating little wings. This little guy wasn't a monster—he was a miracle, like Merlin had said.

"I'm afraid it's time for us to leave," Kilgharrah interrupted. He saw Arthur's perplexed face and said, "I need him to come with me, so I can teach him things that only dragons can teach one another. We can visit anytime, of course."

Arthur nodded in understanding. "Goodbye Aithusa," he said.

Aithusa hopped back over to Merlin for a quick cuddle. "See you later," the dragonlord said. The baby dragon flapped his wings a couple of times then leapt into the air.

"Bye Aithusa," Morgana said. Gwen waved.

"Until later, King Arthur, young warlock," Kilgharrah said before he too took off into the air.

The four remaining gazed up at the retreating dragons. "Well, that was . . ." Arthur offered.

"Yeah," agreed Merlin.

Morgana took Merlin's hand again. "Let's go home," she said.

They all nodded and began walking the path home.

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><p><strong>Next- The uncle from heck sticks his nose in again. Thanks for reading! :)<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Aaaaand now we come to the episode that made me want to constantly slap Arty and burn his uncle at the stake. Review replies:**

**Guest: Thank you! And I am injecting Arty with a bit of sense. ;)**

**sjritts: That's true! It shouldn't always be "hide the magic." You're welcome- I always intended for all the friends to see Aithusa hatching; they deserve it. :)**

**MerlinMorgana1579: Thank you! I _should_ put in more Aithusa moments; I'll see what I can do about that and Mergana. ;)**

**finnickfelicis: I like your username! And thanks- S4 needs all the cute it can get. :)**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone: Thank you! I'll look for more places to put Aithusa. And Aggy- grr!**

**CHARLES CHUKU: Thank you! :)**

**Patiku: Thanks! :)**

**Mike3207: (ch13) I agree, he _should_ have seen it coming; by S4 he's not that naive anymore. (ch14) Thank you- I'm pleased you liked it. :)**

**HoRnIe DeMoN: Ha, a puppy! Yeah, huh? I didn't really have that in mind when I wrote it. I just knew I didn't want him like my old psycho cat.**

**Crazyaniknowit: I've got a nice, painful death planned for Aggy, don't worry. I do love my Mergana moments. ;)**

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><p>Arthur didn't get much rest after that quest. Within two days of Aithusa's hatching, news of raids along the border with Caerleon reached him. After meeting with the council, he decided to send scouts to obtain further information. After a few days, they returned to report that bandits from Caerleon had been attacking villages in Camelot. Rumors also suggested that they'd been sanctioned by King Caerleon himself. If true, that could mean war.<p>

The council agreed action should be taken to subdue the bandits and figure out if the rumor was true. They left Arthur to figure out _how_, preferably _without_ starting a war. So he called his privy council together in his chambers. A certain warlock suggested they lure the bandits someplace where they could ambush and capture them. It was a surprisingly good idea, but bait was needed._ Recognizable_ bait. The author of the plan found himself dressed in chain mail and a knight's cloak, casually wandering near where the bandits had last been seen.

Arthur and a group of knights waited at the chosen spot, a trench leading to a dead end. The goal was for Merlin to attract the bandits' attention and lead them into the trap. Then Arthur's group would spring the trap, hopefully keeping the casualties down.

The knights waited for a while before they saw a streak of red come toward them. They watched Merlin trip and narrowly avoid an axe headed for him. He picked up the axe and ran straight into the dead end. He stopped and turned to face the bandits, who thought they had him cornered. Merlin raised his appropriated axe.

The head bandit smirked and said, "Trapped, are we?" One of the knights above shot an arrow into a bandit, which made the rest of them look up. They'd been surrounded by the Knights of Camelot.

Merlin smiled. "That's the idea."

Arthur yelled, "On me!" and jumped down into the pit. He landed on top one of the bandits.

Before too long, the other knights had joined him and they quickly subdued the bandits. Soon Agravaine had trussed up the bandits' leader and dragged him over to the King. "Your Majesty. Look what we have here."

"He comes with us. We'll deal with the prisoners when we get back to Camelot," Arthur said.

"I fear this is no ordinary prisoner, Your Highness." He ripped the necklace from the bandit's neck and handed it to Arthur.

"Well, well."

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

"This, Merlin, is the royal crest of Caerleon. Is it not . . . Your Highness?"

After the guards had taken King Caerleon away, Arthur and Agravaine sat down in front of a fire. They needed to figure out what to do with Caerleon. Arthur pointed out that this incursion wasn't Caerleon's first; he'd done the raiding that had prompted this mission. But now he'd come into the heart of Camelot at great personal risk. _Why?_

Agravaine suggested it wasn't a coincidence that Caerleon chose to attack after Uther died. Uther's strength was well-known to all of Camelot's enemies. But they didn't know Arthur's strength, so these attacks were testing him. He advised Arthur to send a clear message to his enemies—that any attack against Camelot would be met without mercy.

Merlin listened to the entire conversation while he cooked dinner. He didn't like what Agravaine was implying. Arthur wasn't his father, but it sounded like Agravaine was trying to make him into Uther. And Arthur was just inexperienced enough to listen to him, the trusted family member.

Agravaine insisted that there were many who coveted Camelot's wealth. He claimed such attacks would continue unless they sent a message in how they dealt with Caerleon. He wanted to force the enemy king to sign a treaty on Camelot's terms, and those terms would be harsh. The only other alternative would be to kill him. Arthur hated both ideas.

After Agravaine left, Merlin approached with dinner. He tried to get Arthur to talk, but the King put him off. He was too deep into pondering Caerleon's fate. Merlin left his dinner there and walked away to complete other chores. By the time Merlin went to bed, Arthur was still sitting there, dinner untouched.

xxxXxxx

Merlin woke to see Arthur sitting in the same place he'd left him last night. He got up and poured a glass for Arthur. He approached the King carefully. "Arthur? Arthur, here."

Arthur took the water and said, "Thank you." _He was still distracted_.

The warlock glanced at the dead fire. "You must be cold." No response from Arthur, but Merlin knelt down to rekindle it. "Have you not slept at all?"

"Been thinking."

"About what Agravaine said?" Arthur nodded. "So, what are you going to do?"

"My father was a great king, but I don't have his wisdom or his conviction. I can only follow his example and do what he would've done."

"You're going to draw up this treaty?"

Arthur nodded again. "I have to show my strength. Show that I'm worthy of my father's name."

_Agravaine got to him_. "Caerleon won't sign it. You know that?"

"Caerleon brought this upon himself."

"Arthur. You've always shown mercy in battle. You've never sought to humiliate your enemy in this way. This isn't like you. This isn't who you are."

"You have no idea what it is to make these decisions. Decisions that will shape the future of this land."

"I do, actually. Arthur—"

"So, please . . . stick to what you _do_ know." Arthur got up and left.

_Ouch_. Hopefully that was just stress and fatigue talking. This was the first real challenge Arthur had faced in his reign. Besides being untested, he was unsure of himself. That made him vulnerable to all sorts of advice, and Agravaine's seemed particularly poisonous. It was almost as if he was _deliberately_ trying to ruin Arthur. That made sense if he was working for Morgause. _Time to keep a better eye on Arthur's uncle_.

By the time Merlin had finished his morning tasks, Arthur had written the treaty and assembled his knights. Agravaine presented King Caerleon with the treaty scroll. "What is this?" the enemy king asked. Caerleon didn't take the scroll, so Agravaine handed it to Sir Leon, who opened it and held it so Caerleon could read it. The enemy king was incredulous, understandably do. The terms were _humiliating_.

Agravaine pointed out that Caerleon had chosen to invade and take what wasn't his. He'd _already_ humiliated himself. The king asked what would happen if he didn't sign—he was told he'd pay with his life.

When Caerleon demanded to know who had made the terms, Arthur stepped forward and announced himself. Caerleon pushed away from Leon and Percival to step toward Arthur. "Very well. Then make it quick!" he said, and knelt in front of Arthur.

Arthur pleaded with Caerleon to think about what he was doing. If he signed the treaty there would be peace, like there was between their fathers. Caerleon pointed out that neither of them were their fathers and dared Arthur to kill him.

"You leave me no choice," Arthur stated.

"You do not choose anything, _boy_. It is I who choose to die, and I alone. Now, get on with it." Caerleon bowed his head so Arthur would have a clear strike at his neck.

"So be it," Arthur concluded. Merlin shook his head when he caught Agravaine smirking. If he really did mean to undermine Arthur and ruin Camelot, he'd just taken a step toward victory.

xxxXxxx

When they got back to Camelot, Agravaine walked Arthur back to the King's chambers. He congratulated his nephew on impressing both the council and the commoners. He even went as far to say that Uther would be proud of him.

When they got there, Gwen was inside waiting. She and Arthur embraced fondly. Merlin came in time to see Agravaine grimace at the gesture of affection. The warlock took note of this, hoping Gwen wouldn't be Agravaine's next target.

After the other two had left, Merlin unpacked while Arthur washed up. If the King had any remorse about what he'd done, he didn't show it. "Can't have been easy having a man killed like that," Merlin commented.

"I had no choice. A show of strength was necessary," Arthur replied.

"Don't you think compassion can also show strength?"

"Not for the likes of Caerleon, no. No, an example had to be made for the good of the kingdom."

"So, you don't regret what you did?"

"My conscience is clean, Merlin, which is more than I can say for my room. So, just do your job, will you?"

"Look, I'm just saying, if there's something bothering you, you can talk to me. You shouldn't push your friends away, you know? Not now. Not when you need them the most."

"You're wrong, Merlin. I don't need anyone. I can't afford that luxury." Merlin let Arthur see his disapproval of that. "The kingdom's my responsibility now. Mine to bear alone. And you must learn to accept that."

Merlin nodded, trying to mask his disappointment. He needed to talk to Gaius and Morgana about this, and soon. Arthur was beginning to head down his father's path; going against his nature like that could ruin the kingdom.

When he was done in Arthur's chambers, he went to Gaius's. He contacted Morgana by thought and asked her to come down so he'd only have to tell the story once.

Merlin was sitting at the table when she came in. She ran right to him, sat next to him and threw her arms around him. Then she pulled his head down for a kiss. "_Gaius!_" Merlin thought to her. She broke away and pouted at him.

"Okay, why am I here if not to welcome you home?" she asked.

"Have you heard what happened? What Arthur did?" Merlin asked.

Gaius nodded grimly, but Morgana answered, "No."

Merlin exchanged looks with Gaius. "The bandits were from Caerleon, but they were led personally by King Caerleon." He let Morgana absorb that for a few minutes. "Arthur had to decide what to do with him and Agravaine interfered."

"I can imagine how that went," she said.

"He advised Arthur to draw up a harsh treaty that they both knew Caerleon wouldn't sign, or kill him. He wanted Arthur to send a 'clear message' to his enemies."

"Arthur killed King Caerleon?" she asked.

"Unfortunately. And he sent a clear message to Caerleon's Queen all right; not 'stay away' but 'come and get me'."

"I know Queen Annis. She's a formidable woman with strong feelings. She _will_ declare war over this," Gaius added.

"Wonderful," Merlin said, "And if that's not bad enough, I think Agravaine may try to get rid of Gwen next. I saw him looking at her oddly."

"Poor Gwen. We need to keep an eye on him," Morgana said.

"Easier said than done," Gaius replied.

"I wish there was a way to keep him away from Arthur, but I don't see how," Merlin said.

"We'll have to do our best to counter Agravaine's bad advice and hope that Arthur will come around in time," Gaius said.

xxxXxxx

A little later, Agravaine went in search of Arthur and was informed he'd gone to the council chambers. He'd decided it was time for another heart-to-heart chat with his nephew. Once he faced him, he denigrated Gwen by covering his criticism with compliments. Agravaine called her "beautiful" and "possessed of many fine qualities" before stating his problem with her—her commoner status.

Arthur told him that didn't matter to him; it never had. He thought he could do as he saw fit, since he was the King. That was fairly true, especially considering it wasn't "a matter of state but a matter of the heart."

Agravaine assured Arthur that _he_ didn't have a problem with that. It was the _people_ that did. "They" didn't want their king to be with "the daughter of a blacksmith."

When Agravaine saw that his argument wasn't working well, he switched tactics. He told Arthur that he couldn't rule the kingdom with his heart, and that his father understood that. Then he pointed out that Arthur hadn't let his emotions cloud his mind when it came to dealing with Caerleon. So now he should set aside his feelings for Gwen for the good of the kingdom.

Arthur sighed and got up to walk back to his chambers. Merlin met him there. He was quiet as Merlin helped him prepared for bed_. Did Agravaine "give it" to him about Gwen?_ If so, this mood meant he was thinking; hopefully he'd make the right decision concerning him and Gwen.

xxxXxxx

Arthur was still thinking in the morning, but it wasn't a quiet sort of thinking. It was tense and irritated. So it was good that he decided to go to the training yard. He usually knew when he needed to work out his issues and followed through on that. But today, Merlin knew, Arthur was fighting with himself.

Merlin found himself steadying a punching bag for the King, who was beating it like there was no tomorrow. "You seem tense," he commented.

"What do you mean 'tense'?" Arthur replied tensely. _Uh oh_. _Did I just open Pandora's box?_

"You know . . . agitated. On edge. Angry."

"This is not anger, Merlin. This is controlled _aggression_!" On the last word, Arthur punched the bag so hard it flew off of the hanger, taking Merlin to the ground with it.

"Great. I'm glad we cleared that up." _Ouch_.

Arthur was distracted by Leon's arrival. "Sire. A messenger this minute arrived."

"What is it?"

"An army. They crossed our border at first light."

"An army? Whose army?" Arthur asked, but he had a good idea.

"Caerleon's queen."

Merlin gave Arthur a look that said _I tried to tell you_. Arthur had known this was a likely consequence of executing Caerleon, but had ignored it when he'd made his decision. And now war was literally on their doorstep.

Very soon after that, the council had gathered together for the King to address them. "At a forced march, Caerleon's men will reach Camelot by sundown tomorrow, which means we have no choice. We must intercept them before they reach the ridge of Lanshire. That way, we hold the high ground. The knights of Camelot make ready as I speak. We ride at dawn."

Even though it was Agravaine's advice that had gotten them here, he yelled, "Long live the king!"

As the people there repeated the cry, Merlin looked on in frustration. Could Arthur see the price of his uncle's counsel? Or would he continue believing it and break Gwen's heart? Merlin looked over at Agravaine, who was smirking like the cat who'd swallowed the canary.

xxxXxxx

Just after dark, Agravaine snuck out of the castle for a quick visit to Morgause. He gleefully shared how he'd started the war with Caerleon and separated Arthur from his love. The sorceress was delighted with these events and decided she'd pay a visit to the Queen of Caerleon and offer her some assistance. They arranged to meet after Camelot's army made it to the ridge.

After Agravaine left, she murmured her teleportation spell, materializing just outside Caerleon's castle. She magically opened a door to the tunnels and headed inside. A guard spotted her and she convinced them to take her to the Queen. Once there, she used the name of her father, Gorlois, whom the Queen had known well. She bowed to Annis and offered her assistance in seeking revenge against Arthur, their common enemy. Annis accepted and they began planning.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading y'all! Next up: A little Mergana, a little Arwen and some <em>mea culpa<em>.**


	16. Chapter 16

**All sorts of lovely kinds of love about to happen, all for the guy who needs validation the most. Aww. Review replies:**

**sjritts: Ah, well I hope I lightened it up a bit for you. :)**

**Guest: Oh, I short-circuit oblivious!Arthur much sooner than before. It'll still be a few chapters though. :( But hey, good Arwen on the way!**

**MerlinMorgana1579: Yikes, I made Aggy more despicable than before! _Not_ my intention. Sure, give me a list of ways to kill Morgause. I haven't decided for sure what to do with her.**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone: See what I wrote to Guest.^ It's all for drama, wretched drama.**

**CHARLES CHUKU: Good point! I think I'll make that happen. :)**

**Patiku: I'm working on the end right now and have a painful death for _dear_ Aggy, don't worry. And I totally agree with you- hopefully this chapter is a bit soothing.**

**Crazyaniknowit: Aggy will get his. "Natural consequences" will be redefined for his punishment. I hope I do our couples justice here.**

**Mike3207: I've heard the call, and I'm working it in. Arwen coming up in a scroll or two. And good point- I know if someone murdered my hubby in cold blood _I_ wouldn't be sitting still.**

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><p>In Camelot, Merlin prepared Arthur's bed while Arthur sat at the table. He appeared deep in thought while aimlessly playing with a dagger. The sight didn't encourage Merlin much, aside from the fact that Arthur hadn't spoken to Gwen all day. He decided it was time for distraction. "And we're off again. Another week in the wilderness. Eating weird animals, being eaten by weird animals. No hot water, no baths. This will be the last time either of us gets to sleep in a proper bed."<p>

It worked, and Arthur spoke. "Merlin, I'm prepared to face all manner of horrors in this world, but if you think I'm sharing this bed with you . . ."

Merlin laughed. "_What?_ No, that's not what I meant."

"Right. Good. Comfort to know." Arthur got up and walked toward the door.

Panicked, Merlin asked, "Where are you going?"

"That's my business. And Merlin, _don't_ be here when I come back."

Merlin shook his head. _Not to Gwen's not to Gwen's not to Gwen's_ . . . he thought frantically. He got up and followed Arthur silently, keeping just far enough away to not be seen. When the King stopped in front of Morgana's door and knocked, Merlin blew out a sigh. He watched until Morgana let Arthur in, then headed back to Gaius's chambers, greatly relieved. After all, he'd be able to "hear" their conversation.

Morgana invited Arthur to sit at her table. "What's on your mind, Arthur?" She sat down next to him and watched his face.

"_Is Arthur there for what I think he's there for?_" Merlin asked by thought.

"Something my uncle said is bothering me. Especially after what happened the last time I took his advice," Arthur replied.

"_He wants advice about advice_," she told Merlin. To Arthur, she said, "So what did Agravaine tell you to do this time?"

"He told me I should set aside my feelings for Guinevere 'for the good of the kingdom.'"

"_He wants Arthur to stop seeing Gwen_."

"_I knew it!_" Merlin replied.

Morgana quirked an eyebrow at her brother. "And what do _you_ want to do?"

"Isn't that obvious? I don't want to give her up."

"So why are you conflicted about this?"

"He says because she's a servant the people won't approve of her."

"_Merlin, the people supposedly won't approve of her. You know plenty of people, what would _they_ think?_" To Arthur, she said, "That's rubbish. Agravaine doesn't care what the commoners think; he's worried about the nobility. But you're the King, you can tell them to go to hell."

"_Well, most everyone loves Arthur and would want him to be happy. And I think they'd be tickled he wanted to marry one of 'them'_."

"Are you talking to _Mer_lin too?" Arthur interrupted.

"_Uh oh, busted, love_." She smiled at Arthur. "If I said 'yes', would you be mad?"

Arthur blew out an irritated breath. "I should be."

"If it helps, he knows a lot of people in the lower town, enough to know they'd be delighted if you wed one of their own."

The King blinked. "Really?"

"Really. They love you and they'd want you to be happy."

"Wow, he's right. I really _do_ need to be more in touch with the people. "

"_He just admitted you were right. He does need to be more in touch with the people_." Merlin started laughing hysterically. "He's cackling in my head now. Thanks for that. But seriously, the last time you followed Agravaine's advice you killed another King and started a war. Is _that_ good advice?"

"No."

"Just . . . think before you take any more of Agravaine's advice. I know he's your uncle and you care about him, but that doesn't mean he knows how to rule a kingdom. You've been training for that since birth."

"Yeah. Now I have to get us through this war. Thank you Morgana. Tell Merlin thanks too."

"Of course. Goodnight Arthur." They both stood and Morgana threw her arms around her brother. "You can do this, Arthur. We believe in you."

Arthur pulled back, looked at her and nodded before leaving the room. "_Is he gone yet?_" Merlin asked.

"_Yes, and he feels better. I think he'll keep Gwen_."

"_Good. I'm coming up, unless you have any objections_."

"_Nope. See you soon, love_."

xxxXxxx

After Arthur left Morgana's chambers, he went back to his and put on a cloak. Then he left again, heading down to a familiar home in the lower town. After his knock, Gwen opened the door and quickly pulled him inside, closing the door behind him. "Arthur," she said, surprised.

"Guinevere. I . . . I had to see you before I left," he replied.

She invited him to sit but he shook his head. "What's wrong? You're not usually this anxious before a battle."

"Agravaine. He told me I should stop seeing you because you're not good enough for me. Not an _appropriate_ choice for a king."

Gwen was speechless for a moment. _That slimy . . ._ "And what do _you_ think?"

"Mmm. I think a good king should . . . respect the traditions of the past, as my father did."

"I know that."

"But a good king should also . . ." He took a suggestive step toward her. "Be true to himself . . . and do as he sees fit . . ." He took another step toward her. "And be seen with those who he cares for." He gave her an amorous look.

She looked at him expectantly. "Even if they're not . . . appropriate?"

Arthur grabbed her waist, pulled her to him and kissed her dramatically. He then looked down at her, head tilted playfully. "Does that answer your question?"

She read his mood and served it right back. "It's a start."

They grinned at each other then kissed passionately. She held onto him by his shoulders and his hands rested at her waist. They stayed like this for several long moments before breaking apart. He took her hands in his and gazed into her eyes again. "I wish I didn't have to go."

"You have to, because that's what a King does. You'll fight and you'll win. And when you return home, I'll be waiting here for _you_."

He leaned forward again, touching their foreheads together. "Thank you. This isn't 'goodbye' then; it's 'see you later.'"

He kissed her again and got up to go. She followed him to the door, and when he left, she watched him until she could see him no more. "See you later."

xxxXxxx

Dawn came quickly to Camelot. Arthur descended the steps to walk through his assembled army. _How many won't return? _ _And it's all my fault—I brought this war upon us_. Without any pomp or pageantry, they rode out of the city.

They rode for the better part of the day. When they reached their goal, Arthur dismounted and walked to the edge of the ridge separating the armies. Caerleon's army stared back up at him_. They are here because of _my_ actions. How many of _them_ won't return home?_ _There has to be another way—no one deserves to die because of my mistakes._

After a while, Agravaine came to him for instructions. Arthur dispensed them and slowly walked back to the rapidly forming camp. His tent was set up and his dinner was waiting. His Round Table knights were gathered around a campfire near his tent.

Arthur went inside the tent to make sure everything was in place. He walked back to the doorway to observe his knights. _His comrades_. If he followed Agravaine's advice, he would have to hold himself above them, not equal but separate. He could have no friends; only those who obeyed orders and carried out his will. No matter how strongly he felt the desire to join them, to form bonds, he couldn't. Camelot came before all else.

But he'd already seen how that works. That was exactly how his father had ruled. Uther had had no friends or equals; he was above all his peers. Every command was followed without question. Uther lived and breathed Camelot. He _was_ Camelot—a _thing_. And _things_ showed no emotion. Not even to a son who'd craved attention, a single kind word or approval. No wonder Arthur couldn't express his emotions well. _Is that how I want to live for the rest of my life?_

He watched the knights and Merlin around the campfire. They talked, laughing and joking, drinking and bonding, _living_. And he knew _that's_ what he wanted—friendship, love, warmth; life and all the chaos that came with it. He was _not_ his father and couldn't bear that lonely, cold existence. And now he had to find a way out of the mess he'd made.

Later on, Merlin went inside the tent to finish up a few chores. Arthur sat thinking, so he was surprised when Elyan led the Round Table knights into his tent. "Elyan?" he asked.

"Sire," Elyan replied. He glanced round at his fellow knights.

"Well?" the King prodded.

"We just want you to know there isn't a man among us who would not die for you. We made our pledge, and we wear the Pendragon crest with pride. Tomorrow, we fight in your name, sire. For freedom and justice in this land."

Arthur was touched. Even though they knew he'd made a mistake, they supported him. "Thank you, Elyan. Thank you all."

They all nodded and left. Arthur seemed disturbed by their show of loyalty; Merlin picked up on that. "They mean it, sire. Every word." He was glad to play Arthur's conscience.

"I've never once questioned their loyalty. I do wonder if I deserve it."

"No one could care more for their men than you do. To send them into battle is not a decision that you would make lightly, and they know that."

"But was it the right decision?"

"If there was any other way out of this situation, you would take it. But you must defend Camelot. You have no choice." Merlin was _still_ trying to support Arthur, even though _he'd_ been right all along.

"I had a choice . . . to let Caerleon live or die. I made the wrong decision. And now I've brought this war upon Camelot myself."

"Arthur . . . no one is prepared to sacrifice more for the sake of this kingdom than you. Your decision was made in the best interests of Camelot."

"Maybe. Now my men must pay for it with their lives."

xxxXxxx

Arthur waited until everyone in the camp was asleep and snuck out of his tent in a nondescript brown cloak. Merlin, attuned to Arthur's movements, woke when he walked by. He got up to follow the King and tripped into a tent, nearly blowing his cover. Arthur looked around, but kept going when he saw nothing. Merlin continued to follow him a bit more carefully.

Arthur walked down to the sentries stationed at the enemy camp, not even trying to hide. They stopped him and he opened his cloak to show he was unarmed. Merlin watched from above as Arthur pulled off the cloak and dropped it on the ground. They could now see his identity and he requested to be taken to the queen. Merlin followed as Arthur allowed himself to be escorted into the enemy camp.

The sentries actually _did_ take Arthur to the queen's tent. He was mildly surprised, but not as surprised as Queen Annis was. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked.

He'd started to explain when Annis slapped him across the face. He deserved that, but continued anyway, stating the obvious—that he'd done her a grievous wrong and was ashamed of what he'd done. He called himself cowardly and unjust, finishing with, "I am deeply sorry." Merlin made it to the tent in time to hear Arthur's last sentence and found a seam to peek through.

Annis was understandably angry. She told him that "_sorry_" didn't bring back her husband or give her people back their king. When he told her that he knew there was nothing he could do to repair that loss, she asked him _why_ he was there.

"I want to call off the battle," he told her. She was silent for an extra moment after that and commented that it was a bit too late for that. Then he explained his plan—he wasn't proposing a truce but an alternative to an all-out battle: he invoked the right of single combat. Instead of two armies, two champions would settle the matter between them. _Only one person has to die for my mistake_.

When Annis recovered from her surprise, she asked him why she should grant him such a favor. As the offended party, she owed him _nothing_. He argued that there'd been enough bloodshed and hundreds of lives would be saved by taking this route. Annis seemed intrigued; she told her men to release Arthur and asked for his terms. He stated that if his man won, she had to withdraw her army. If her man won, half of all Camelot would be hers.

They were interrupted when a guard brought Merlin into the tent and shoved him to his knees. Arthur was speechless. "Sorry about this," Merlin said to Arthur.

Annis was surprised again. Arthur explained that Merlin was his servant and must have followed him here without his knowledge. Annis ordered her men to kill Merlin, but Arthur asked her to stop and let Merlin go. He was a "simpleminded fool" who'd probably had no idea what he was getting himself into.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "That is two favors you've asked of me this night, Arthur Pendragon." She turned and sat on her throne, considering Arthur's requests. Tension wafted through the tent as they waited for her decision. "Very well. You shall have your trial by combat." Arthur sighed in relief and she continued, "Announce your champion by noon tomorrow."

Arthur nodded to her. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"And take your fool with you," she said offhand.

Arthur nodded again and waited for the guard to jerk Merlin to standing. He walked out of the tent and made his way back to Camelot's camp. He was livid—he felt Merlin had nearly ruined his plan. "'Simpleminded fool'?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, I was being kind, believe me. You almost got me killed in there," Arthur bit back.

"_Me?_ You seemed to be doing a pretty good job of that yourself."

Arthur halted and turned to face his friend. "What is _wrong_ with you? Why can you never just let me be?"

"I'm your friend and your protector! I was looking out for you."

"I appreciate that you're only trying to help. But, _please_, don't do it again. Politics requires finesse that you don't have yet." He turned and began walking again. There were people he had to inform about the change of plan.

Once back in the camp, he had Merlin wake the Round Table knights and Agravaine. None were pleased to be awake, and unsurprisingly _didn't_ agree with their King's decision. They were confident in their army's ability and wary of giving up territory. But one perk of being King was Arthur could overrule the majority. He'd already decided who was going to be the champion before Agravaine turned the floor over to him.

All the knights stepped forward. Percival spoke first, then Elyan, but they couldn't change his mind. None of them would like it, but they couldn't object. "There can only be one choice. One choice which is just and honorable. This fight's _mine_."

Arthur sent his men back to bed and went to sleep himself. He didn't notice when Agravaine slunk back into the tent and appropriated his sword.

xxxXxxx

As previously arranged, Morgause met Agravaine in the woods between camps. "Did you get it?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied, mildly insulted. He watched her draw the sword from its scabbard and examine it thoroughly. "What will you do with it?"

"Queen Annis has given me permission to use my power to ensure that Arthur doesn't win. I will enchant it to obey my will should the need arise. He will not be able to overcome it." She made three fires and knelt down in the middle of them. Then she pronounced the enchantment and held the sword aloft. It burst into flame as she finished saying the spell.

Agravaine stood back in awe. The flames disappeared and Morgause lowered the sword. She smiled fiendishly and handed him the sword. "Arthur's as good as dead," she said.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! So, evil people are being evil, but will bromanace save the day? Next up- a "fair" fight and the bridge into the angsty-comic 4.6. :)<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**I promise I don't mean to irritate anyone! There are a lot of things y'all want to see, and I'm cool with that. A good chunk of those fit into my plans. But I've almost finished the first draft (I go back and edit the chapters before I post) so a lot is already set. So I'm apologizing now if I can't fit in what you'd like to see- it's totally not personal. But I do welcome suggestions, so keep 'em coming! :) Review replies:**

**MerlinMorgana1579: Ohhh, you have no idea of the Mergana I'd write if I had no morals, lol! But there's a bit in this chapter; I hope it helps. An no, Excalibur hasn't made its reappearance. Yet. ;) Creative evil witch deaths! I'll keep them in mind.**

**mersan123: Thank you! Yeah, my Arthur's not an Aggy-sponge. No way.**

**yesthenLucky9: Thank you! We got to see Arthur thinking a lot, but didn't get to hear what he thought. I like figuring that stuff out. :)**

**Patiku: Soon, very soon. And I hope you like the fight. :)**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone: I like how you put that- crazy stuff. I put a little of that in 'cause this episode could have used a bit more levity. :)**

**sjritts: LOL, you haven't figured out that I'm evil? I'm really not, I just play evil on TV LOL- I wish. I never thought about lack of nobility being why Arthur wouldn't listen to Merlin, though it makes a lot of sense. I hope I do this part justice for you!**

**HoRnIe DeMoN: LOL I'm glad you liked that! I'm leaning on canon a little harder than I intended to- it's too easy a crutch. The major divergence from it happened in the first story, but I keep looking for ways to make it different. I'm tryin'! :)**

**Guest: Thanks! Whew! :) And you're welcome.**

**Mike3207: Indeed he does. More than one person will see the light in this chapter.**

**Crazyaniknowit: Heeheehee! Fangirl all you want. I'l just be over in my little corner geeking out. :)**

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><p>Just before dawn, a somber Merlin helped Arthur into his armor. In his agitation, he over tightened a strap. Arthur noticed and tried to lighten the mood with a joke. It worked to some degree until he took off his glove and removed a ring. He bid Merlin to give it to Gwen if he failed.<p>

That prompted Merlin to examine his friend closely. He was finally the King he'd been waiting for and the thought had him blinking back tears. "Arthur, do you really think this is worth the risk? You're king now. Camelot needs you. _Alive_."

"I don't know what will happen. But for the first time since I became king, I know in my heart I've made the right decision," he replied, smiling like he was at peace. He thought for a minute then cleared his throat. "Uh, Merlin? I, uh, want to apologize for being so hard on you for the last few days. You were right about me, how I should have treated Caerleon. I need to follow my heart; I'm not my father and I need to remember that."

"Ah, thank you." He had to clear his throat. "Well, whatever happens out there . . . um . . ." Something- _not_ tears -was crowding his throat.

Arthur noticed. "You're not about to start crying on me, are you?"

"No. Just, uh, good luck." He thought for a moment then put a hand on Arthur's armored shoulder. "Hang on, stubborn prat. _Álíefe náht oferfær þæs gúðscrúdes_."

The King looked startled. "What was that?"

"I just fortified your armor. Nothing will get through it, but everything not covered is vulnerable."

"Oh. Thank you, old friend. I know you'll watch over me." They smiled at each other.

"Count on it." They shook hands.

Agravaine entered, announcing it was time to go. When Arthur didn't move, Agravaine asked if everything was ready. Arthur stood still while Merlin inspected his armor. When he'd cleared Arthur, the King picked up his sword, looked it over, said, "Right, then," and left with his uncle.

While Arthur walked down to the designated neutral area, Merlin walked out to the ridge. He made his way to the front of the army at the edge of the ridge. Looking down, he saw Caerleon's army assembled in the same manner as Camelot's. He watched Arthur meet Annis's champion, who looked like a giant even from where Merlin was. When the fight began, he kept his eye on Arthur.

Merlin nearly shouted a spell when the giant knocked Arthur to his knees. Luckily Arthur's quick reflexes allowed him to roll away from the blow and slice his opponent's cheek. The giant lifted his hand to his face to check for blood and howled when he found it. He began striking furiously at Arthur, who parried each blow.

Arthur finally managed to get in a position to strike, but when he tried to lift his sword, it dropped like lead behind him. Merlin sensed the use of magic and scanned the front line of Caerleon's army. He magically enhanced his sight and caught a blonde-haired figure standing next to the Queen. _Morgause_.

Back on the field, Arthur kept trying to lift his sword with no success. The giant swung at him, but missed, giving Arthur the chance to punch his opponent's face. Unfortunately he failed to see the giant sweep his sword upward, cutting Arthur. He cried out in pain and tried futilely to lift his sword again. When the giant began another strike, Merlin decided he'd had enough. He magically froze the giant mid-swing. Arthur gave up on his sword and rammed his shoulder into his opponent. Both men fell to the ground and immediately started getting up; the giant stood first and kicked Arthur over. Merlin panicked when the giant picked up his sword and raised it over his head—Arthur was helpless. Merlin whispered, "_Ecg ætstande!_"

The sword fell from the giant's hands into the ground behind him and he froze. Arthur rolled up behind his opponent, grabbed the sword and sliced across his back. The giant fell to his knees and Arthur kicked him the rest of the way down. He poised himself to strike then looked up at his men on the ridge. Merlin tensed—_what would he choose this time?_ Arthur looked down at his fallen enemy and stuck the sword into the ground by the giant's head.

Around Merlin, Camelot's army burst out cheering. "Long live the king!" Percival called out. The rest of the army immediately took up the cry. Merlin glanced at Agravaine to see him scowling and reluctantly join in the applause. He glanced back down to Caerleon's army to see the head of blonde hair vanish into the ranks; he grinned to himself.

Arthur turned to see Queen Annis approaching the champions. She stopped in front of him and said, "You are victorious, Arthur Pendragon. And you may rest assured that I shall comply absolutely with the terms of our agreement." He nodded. "My army will be gone by nightfall."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Arthur said. She held out her arm and he grasped it briefly.

Annis looked at him curiously. "Tell me something. You spared my champion. Why?"

"Because it's not victory I seek. It is peace. I hope that today will mark a new beginning for our kingdoms."

"There is something about you, Arthur Pendragon. Something which gives me hope for us all." She considered him for a moment, then turned and left.

xxxXxxx

The gleeful army had their camp packed up quickly, and in no time Arthur and his knights were riding triumphantly into Camelot. The city celebrated with ringing bells, bright streamers, waving flags, and cheering crowds. When they got into the square, Merlin quietly said to Arthur, "You're a hero."

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur replied, fully aware that Merlin would now qualify it.

"Not to me. To your people." Arthur wasn't disappointed.

"Right. You think differently?"

"Maybe I know something they don't."

_Oh, I can't wait_. "Which is?"

"You know, that you're a cabbage head."

Arthur considered the insult with a puzzled expression. "Maybe. You always have my back, Merlin, even when I don't deserve it. And you're not a simpleminded fool. But you are _still_ the worst servant in the five kingdoms."

He dismounted, hearing Merlin chuckle behind him. The courtiers applauded as he climbed the steps into the palace. He didn't feel like he deserved the applause but didn't stop them. The only thing he had on his mind was unwinding and finding Guinevere.

xxxXxxx

Merlin made sure the horses were taken care of then took his pack and headed for Gaius's chambers. He'd gotten up the stairs outside the door when Morgana accosted him. "Hello," she said, and threw her arms around his neck. She pulled his lips down to hers. He dropped his pack and slipped his hands around her waist to pull her closer.

They remained lip-locked until the sound of a throat clearing behind Morgana startled them apart. "Glad to see you made it home in one piece, Merlin. My Lady," Gaius greeted, nodding at Morgana. The couple smiled sheepishly and followed the physician into his chambers.

Once behind closed doors, Merlin walked to the table and sat on the bench there. Morgana sat next to him and took his hand. "So, you both obviously heard the news." Gaius and Morgana nodded. "I'm almost positive Agravaine had something to do with what happened, aside from his bad advice."

"What makes you think that?" Gaius asked.

"When Arthur won, Agravaine scowled. But more than that, Morgause was there."

"Morgause?" Morgana said in shock.

"I saw her standing on the front line of Caerleon's army next to the Queen."

"Are you sure it was her?"

"Magically enhanced sight—_and_ I sensed her magic. I suspect she somehow enchanted Arthur's sword. Near the end of the fight, his sword became too heavy to lift."

"You saw that or he told you?"

"Both. He would've been disemboweled if I hadn't stopped the other man. I had to intervene _twice_."

Morgana's face went a little green. "Ugh."

"Sorry."

"Do you think Arthur will take his uncle's advice anymore?" Morgana asked.

"I don't think so. At least not without pondering it first. He more than made up for his first mistake and he didn't give up Gwen."

"Agravaine won't stop trying to bring Arthur and Camelot down," Gaius said.

"No, but we don't have any evidence of his treachery to take to Arthur though. He won't hear any accusations without it."

"No, he won't," Gaius agreed.

"We have to wait for him to slip up, preferably _before_ Camelot falls," Morgana commented.

"Indeed," Gaius said. He then noticed the longing looks the other two were giving each other and wisely made up an excuse to leave the room. He did remember what it was like to be young, after all.

xxxXxxx

After dark, Agravaine once again traveled to Morgause's hut. He was curious as to why their plan had failed. Arthur should have lost the battle and died, but that mysterious luck he carried with him had prevailed. Once at the hut, he knocked twice, opened the door and called, "Morgause?"

She materialized in front of him, twirling a dagger. "What is it this time?" she snarled.

"Don't be angry with me—I played my part of the plan perfectly."

"Then what happened?"

"Arthur possesses a bit of luck . . .?"

"I do not think it is luck. I think it was magic."

"Magic? Surely no one in Camelot has magic besides Morgana, and she wasn't there."

"No, she wasn't. I would have sensed my sister's magic. It was someone else, maybe Emrys. We have to find him."

"I agree, but I've had no luck in Camelot so far."

"Perhaps it is time to look beyond Camelot."

"Ah. And what of Queen Annis? Will she help our cause?"

Morgause's eyes glowed with magic; something behind her shattered. "Queen Annis believes she 'misjudged our young king.' She wanted revenge until Arthur impressed her. Now I believe she'll ally with him."

"Odin will not be pleased."

"I will handle Odin. In the meantime, keep searching for Emrys. I also have a group of mercenaries I want you to contact about a job . . ."

xxxXxxx

Life continued much the same as ever in Camelot. Two days after they returned from the not-war, Arthur received an emissary from Queen Annis. The emissary explained how Annis had thought long about her response to Arthur's actions. She felt that Arthur was an honorable King and Camelot a strong country for it. She wished to ally with Camelot, and would be happy to receive them in Caerleon's capitol to discuss the matter.

This was a relief to Arthur and his various councils. They weren't sure what Annis would do after their verbal agreement had been fulfilled. It was decided that Arthur would go with his usual group of knights and Merlin, minus Elyan, who asked to be excused for personal reasons.

By dawn the following day, they were ready to go. Every man hoped it would be a short trip, because lately it seemed they'd been spending more time away from Camelot than in it.

Annis was a gracious and generous hostess. She was a tough woman with strong opinions, but they mostly matched Arthur's. Their countries' interests also mostly aligned. They were able to agree to trade and defense strategies. Arthur was glad Annis had no daughters to marry off—he already had a potential fiancée.

After three days of talks, Arthur's group was able to head home with treaty in hand. The route home had been decided without Merlin's knowledge, mostly because Arthur knew his servant would flip out if he knew. But when Merlin caught sight of a stone head lying in the grass, he realized they were heading for the Valley of the Fallen Kings. Arthur braced himself for the verbal onslaught. "Arthur? You are not serious?"

The King rolled his eyes. "What else do you have in mind?"

"Anything. Nothing good ever happens in the Valley of the Fallen Kings. No one in their right mind would go in there."

"Exactly," Percival commented.

"The route's a secret, Merlin. That's why we chose it," Arthur explained further. Of course that justification was shot down as a band of yelling armed men rushed down the hillside toward them.

"Not so secret after all," Merlin needlessly pointed out.

Arthur threw off his cloak to yell back, "No need to get cocky!" He nudged his horse into action as more men ran down the other hillside. The knights drew their swords and mounted men charged them from behind.

"Yaaah!" Percival yelled and charged a man, cutting him down from his horse. Arthur fought a man on foot, who pulled him off his horse. Arthur sliced his belly and turned to fend off another attacker.

Merlin watched him carefully, and dismounted when he saw a horseman charging Arthur from behind. "Arthur!" he yelled. He held out a hand and magically pushed the horseman off to be dragged behind his horse. Merlin watched Arthur finish off his attacker and turned just in time to see a horseman swing a mace into _his_ chest. He slowly fell to the ground as Arthur dispatched another attacker. But the King paused in horror when he saw a limp Merlin sprawled on the ground, face first.

Arthur ran over to Merlin and hauled him to standing. He wrapped his arm across his friend's shoulders and pulled Merlin's across his. He supported Merlin's weight as they hurried through the forest, pursued by the mercenaries. Soon he spotted some tree roots on a hillside and slid them down to hide behind. The pursuers passed by, unaware.

"They need to work through their anger," Merlin commented, still dazed.

"They just did, on you," Arthur replied. Merlin chuckled but it sounded terribly pained to Arthur. It was definitely worrisome.

After a while, Arthur stood and gently hauled Merlin to standing. Supporting him the same way as before, Arthur made their way through the forest. He was searching for a more secure place to hide for the night—the light would soon be fading fast.

He decided to keep the mood light, to reassure his friend and downplay his own concern. "A night's rest and you'll be polishing my armor. It could definitely do with a scrub."

Arthur eased Merlin down against a fallen log, took off his glove and checked Merlin's wound. Merlin looked at the wound and back at Arthur. He was struck by the role reversal; usually _he_ was tending _Arthur's_ wounds.

Arthur tried to downplay the seriousness of the wound. "I've seen worse. I've definitely seen worse."

"On a dead man," Merlin commented, smiling.

"You're not going to die, Merlin. Don't be such a coward!"

Still half-joking, Merlin asked, "If I do die, will you call me a hero?"

"Probably."

"But whilst I'm still alive, I'm a coward?"

"That's the way these things work, I'm afraid. You get the glory when you're not around to appreciate it." _And I'm not even lying_.

"Well . . . unless you're the king."

_There's that_. "Come on, it's got to have some advantages."

"You have a very good servant," Merlin quipped, smiling. But the smile faded as the pain surged again.

Arthur noticed. "You're right. I do. A servant who's extremely brave. And incredibly powerful. Not to mention fiercely loyal."

They looked at each other seriously. "Thank you for saving my life."

"You'd do the same for me."

Before it got too serious, Arthur helped Merlin settle more comfortably against the log. They had no food and didn't dare light a fire, so they talked quietly until they felt tired enough to sleep. Arthur left Merlin's side and sat next to a tree, leaning back on it. He must have been more tired than he thought, because he soon lost awareness of the world.

Arthur opened his eyes to the sound of chirping birds. He jumped when he heard twigs crack and a bird take flight. Then he looked over at Merlin who was obviously still in pain. Arthur got up quickly and sheathed his sword. "I'd love to say we can stay here and rest, but another ten minutes and we'll be mercenary mincemeat." He proceeded to lift Merlin up by the arms and hefted him onto his shoulders.

"Leave me," Merlin said pathetically.

"Now's not the time for jokes," Arthur replied.

"Please leave me."

"Sure. Whatever you say." Arthur ignored him and started the trek back to Camelot.

He came to a set of stairs in a crevice and saw a mercenary at the other end. So he sat Merlin down, drew his sword and ran to fight the merc. Another mercenary ran past Merlin and came at Arthur from behind. Arthur killed the two men, but several more ran past Merlin and into the crevice after Arthur. Arthur braced himself for the battle, but Merlin sat up, looking for a way to help. He looked up to see several boulders on the edge of the crevice then cried out, "_Gewican ge stanas!_"

The boulders fell into the crevice, cutting the mercenaries off from the King. Arthur realized he was also being cut off from Merlin and panicked. "Merlin!" _Damn selfless idiot!_

The mercenaries gave up on getting to Arthur since boulders filled the crevice entirely. Merlin fell back, totally exhausted. The last thing he saw before he passed out were mercenaries reaching for him.

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><p><strong>I just love filling canon plot holes! Continuity, silly screenwriters! :P Thanks for reading! Next up: Bad juju and jerk!Merlin.<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**Wow, did I annoy a few of you? No offense was intended, honestly. :( Review replies:**

**Guest: Morgause is waaaay more devious than Morgana. She twisted her sister to begin with.**

**MerlinMorgana1579: Oh no, Gwen AND Morgana will be involved. Be random all you want. I get it.**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone: Mmm, yes, our hero will still get in trouble. And cause some.**

**sjritts: LOL I love how you asked what would happen to Arthur when Morgana finds out hehehe. And I won't get you started on S5 if you don't get me started on S5. Deal? :)**

**Mike3207: True. This Morgause actually knows about Merlin, but thinks he's nothing special. Far beneath her, certainly. I agree that anger is not conducive to rational thought.**

**Mordred's girl: Thank you! I'd love for Aithusa to be a girl; the only reason I don't is because Kilgharrah says "him" while he's hatching.**

**Crazyaniknowit: Oh that's too funny. :D Hehehe, you're gonna love this.**

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><p>What was left of the mercenaries met up with Agravaine, dragging Merlin with them. He gestured for them to follow him and he led them toward Morgause's hut. She met them not far from it; the mercs dropped Merlin at her feet. She looked at him in extreme distaste. "You lost how many men? And you bring me how many men? Or should I say, how many servants?" She kicked him over.<p>

"Arthur was within our grasp," Agravaine said lamely.

"Oh, and that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"The rock fall was hardly our fault. I must show my presence in Camelot. Several people already suspect me."

"Oh, you should take care. After all, if your true nature is revealed, I really don't know what use I'll have for you."

"Morgause . . . let me dispatch this servant." He drew his sword and prepared to strike.

"You will do no such thing." She looked at Merlin, remembering something. "Morgana and Arthur are strangely fond of this one. They trust him; he _could_ prove useful." She smiled viciously and gestured for the men to bring Merlin to her hut.

She had the mercenaries string Merlin up to her ceiling and cast a sleeping spell on him to keep him unconscious. She needed time to figure out the best way to use this new asset. Suddenly an idea hit her, and she got up to find a book she had across the room. When she had it in hand, she flipped through it and found the information she wanted. Smiling, she walked to another shelf and picked up what looked like a large coin.

Morgause put the coin down on her table and picked up a bucket of water sitting nearby. She tossed the water at Merlin, waking him abruptly. "Good morning," she said with false pleasantry.

"Is it? _Astrice!_" he yelled. He felt the magic try to leave him, but it hit something and rebounded back into him. It didn't hurt, but the discomfort made him flinch.

"Aw, what's wrong? Don't you like my enchanted rope? It prevents magic from leaving you."

". . ."

"Oh, don't be like that. We have a lot of catching up to do. After all, I haven't seen you since you put me in a coma for six months, stole my sister from me and forced me to live in a hovel."

"You give me too much credit! Morgana stayed with me willingly and you should be happy to be alive. I'm quite proud of those accomplishments, so I can die happy."

"Oh, you're not going to die. Oh, no. I'm not going to make it that easy. But there's one thing I don't understand, Merlin." She walked closer, as if to inspect him. "You're Arthur's servant and have some magic. Yet, you've proved yourself willing to die for him. He'd kill you if he knew of your magic."

"What makes you think he doesn't know?"

Morgause looked taken aback for a moment then grabbed his face. "I believe I asked you a question first. Why are you so loyal to Arthur?"

"I don't expect you to understand, Morgause. You have no sense of duty, no sense of loyalty."

"You're wrong. Don't think I don't understand loyalty just because I've got no one left to be loyal to." She put her hand over Merlin's wound and murmured a few words to heal his wound just enough so it wouldn't get infected. Then she spoke a few more words and put him back to sleep.

xxxXxxx

While Merlin was being strung up, the Round Table knights were searching the woods for him and Arthur. Leon took point; when he heard something behind him he turned to attack. The King parried his blow and Leon smiled in relief. "Nice to see you, too," Arthur said and they clasped arms.

The knights led Arthur back to where they'd left their horses. As they rode back to Camelot, he explained what had happened after they'd been separated. None of them were happy to hear about Merlin. Gwaine, in particular, wanted to turn around immediately and look for him. But Arthur managed to convince him and the others that they needed to regroup at Camelot and come back out with a bigger force.

When they got back to Camelot, several members of the council, including Gaius, were already gathered in the council chambers. Maps came out and they sat down to discuss plans.

They'd almost finished when Morgana strode in. Morgana saw Arthur and immediately demanded, "Where's Merlin?"

"He's alive. Last I saw of him, he was still alive." To Leon and Agravaine he said, "Dispatch patrols at first light. Scour every inch of that forest."

"Yes, sire," Leon acknowledged. He and the rest of the knights left to carry out the order.

"We'll find him, Morgana, Gaius," Arthur said and placed a comforting hand on each of their shoulders. "We will." Gaius nodded and left, Arthur tried to follow, but Morgana snagged his arm.

She lowered her voice. "You'd _better_ find him. Or I'll turn you into the toad you are for _leaving him out there!_"

The King looked pained. "It wasn't by choice, believe me. _He_ separated us. Besides, he can take care of himself."

"Don't blame this situation on him. Besides, if Morgause gets a hold of him . . ." Her eyes filled with tears.

Arthur put his arms around her. "If I have to go out there _by myself_ and tear the forest apart with my _bare hands_, I will." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "I'll find him. Go get some rest."

Morgana nodded and said, "Thank you. You wouldn't look good in green anyway." And with that, she flounced out of the room.

Much later, after nightfall in fact, Agravaine and Leon came back to the council chambers to report their findings to the council. Or rather, their _lack_ of findings.

"We have scoured the forest," Agravaine said.

"Scour it again," Arthur demanded.

"Sire, there is no sign of Merlin," Leon explained.

Agravaine walked toward Arthur. "None but this." He placed a scrap of Merlin's bloody jacket on the map in front of Arthur, who stared at it. "I am sorry you've lost such a loyal and . . ."

Arthur held up a hand to cut him off. "The mercenaries, what news of them?"

"We found no trace," Leon said.

"Probably sent by that snake Alinor," Agravaine suggested.

"It can't be. _How?_ Our route was known only to a few within Camelot," Arthur said.

"Then there's only one conclusion we can draw," Leon said, drawing everyone's attention. "We have a traitor in our midst."

xxxXxxx

Morgause lit the fire in her brazier. She picked up the coin from the table and gazed at it fondly. She looked up and noticed Merlin was awake and watching her. After a fiendish smile at him, she spoke the words of a complex enchantment. "_Astige ðu wyrm fah ond geþéowe ðæt mod ðisse þeowes. Hine bind ond ða heold ond awendaþ he ealle!_" She tossed the coin into the flames.

Merlin understood the words but not what they meant. At least not until he heard a hiss rise out of the metal bowl. The flames disappeared as a small, many-headed snake rose from the ashes. Morgause smiled. "I take it you've never met a Fomorroh before."

The Fomorroh hissed and Morgause giggled evilly. "Aw, he's a little grumpy." She leaned over to pet the foul thing. "He's not used to being out in the light. No, my friend, I've called you from your depths for a very good reason."

Morgause took a dagger and sliced off one of the Fomorroh's heads. It writhed, still alive, and another head grew back on the main body. Merlin looked on, disgusted yet fascinated.

"Fomorroh are creatures of dark magic. Even if you cut off their heads, you cannot kill them. Another will just grow in its place." Merlin glared at her. "In the days of the Old Religion, they were revered by the High Priestesses as they allowed them to control people's minds."

Morgause approached Merlin menacingly and he glared at her, disgusted. "The Fomorroh will suck the life force out of you. Everything that makes you Merlin will be gone. And in its place there will be just one thought. One thought that will grow until it's consumed you completely. One thought that will be your life's work. You will not be able to rest until it's done. And that one thought is simple. _You must kill Arthur Pendragon_."

The last thing Merlin saw before passing out again was Morgause walking behind him, placing the Fomorroh on his neck and extreme pain as it burrowed into him.

xxxXxxx

The next morning, Arthur woke up to a disturbing vision. At the end of his bed stood a figure wearing brown, blue and red—like Merlin. But Merlin was lost; he was leaving to find him later. _Who the hell was this non-Merlin?_

Non-Merlin insisted his name was _George_ and he was Arthur's _new_ manservant. He proceeded to list the chores he'd _already_ done, ones Merlin would have taken _all day_ to finish and it was just breakfast. _George_ wanted to serve Arthur the most _amazing_ breakfast the King had ever seen.

Arthur tried to tell George how he wasn't needed, but the servant ignored him. He gave Arthur a napkin-even though the King was still in bed -an extra pillow to prop him up, a goblet, and a plate. When George finally finished handing him things, Arthur handed them back, tossed the napkin and got out of bed. He had to get dressed; he had a _friend_ to find.

George was confused, but followed the King to help him dress. The King seemed stressed, so George decided to tell him some of his best jokes. He wasn't sure if they helped though; the King's laughter seemed forced. He was relieved to send the King off with a "good day."

The second Arthur stepped out of his chambers, Morgana accosted him. "Are you going to find Merlin? _Please_ tell me you're going to find him. I think Morgause got to him; otherwise he'd be back by now. I _know_ he can take care of himself; he's so powerful, but . . ."

Arthur cut her off by stepping in front of her and putting both hands on her shoulders. "Morgana. _Calm down_. I actually _am_ on my way to look for him. I could have left by now if you hadn't waylaid me."

"Oh, sorry. I just . . ."

"I know. You love him and you're worried about him. A lot of us are. That's why I'm going _myself_, and I'm not coming home until I find him. Now take a deep breath and relax." Arthur made sure she did just that, then turned and kept walking to the castle's entrance. Morgana followed him.

There, at the doors leading out, stood Gwen. _Oh no_, thought Arthur. But to his surprise, she wanted to talk him _out_ of going. She missed the dirty look Morgana threw her and also followed Arthur out of the castle. "I am as worried about Merlin as you are," Gwen said.

"You're not going to change my mind," Arthur replied. He exchanged a glance with Morgana that said, _Help_.

"Who knows if the mercenaries have even left the forest?" Gwen asked.

"He has to go," Morgana interrupted.

Gwen turned her pleading eyes on her for a moment before turning back to Arthur. "The patrol's found no sign of him."

"Do you really expect me to accept that? Just to sit here and take their word that Merlin's gone? I won't rest until I at least try," Arthur stated.

"I know, but just . . . do one thing for me. Please don't go alone," Gwen said, resigned.

Gwaine rode up just then. "He won't be going alone." Everyone turned to look at him.

"As you can see, I'm way ahead of you Gwen," Morgana said with a smug grin and a nod at Gwaine. He'd been more than willing to accompany Arthur.

"See? Now you've condemned me to a day of mindless chatter," Arthur complained.

"Good," Gwen said. Now she had a smug smile too.

Arthur put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll return."

"You better," Gwen said firmly. Morgana came to stand by her and together they watched Arthur mount and the two of them ride off.

xxxXxxx

The next time Merlin woke up, he was lying face down in a giant mud puddle. He rose to his hands and knees. Nope, it was a bog and he was completely covered in mud. _Ughhh_. Gradually he stood up and wiped off as much as he could, though it was a hopeless battle. It had already soaked into his clothes and partially dried in his hair and on his skin.

Besides _I need a bath_, the only thought that ran through his mind was, _I must kill Arthur_. It was so present that it physically hurt, right at the back of his neck. Something told him that this pain would cease once Arthur was dead. He looked forward to that.

He paused when he heard hoof beats coming down the path. _Knights? Good, I can go back to Camelot and kill Arthur_. From where he was he could hear a familiar loud voice—_Gwaine_. "You know what I like about Merlin? He never expects any praise. All these things he does just for the good of doing them."

Gwaine stopped talking when Arthur held out his arm, _he must have heard me_. Merlin heard the sound of boots hitting the dirt. _Time to get moving_, he decided and started walking up to the road. Then he heard the sound of swords being drawn. "Declare yourself." _Arthur, yes!_

Merlin tripped a couple times as he freed himself from the mud. He stepped onto the path and laughed when he saw Arthur and Gwaine. Arthur lowered his sword in surprise. "Merlin!" Arthur stuck his sword in the ground and walked over to Merlin. "I thought we'd lost you! Haha!"

Merlin was surprised when Arthur threw his arms around him for a big hug. Arthur never hugged him, _ever_. But another part of Merlin mourned that he didn't have a pointy weapon of some kind now that they were so close; it would be so easy to just slide it in between his ribs. _Oh well_.

Arthur and Gwaine took Merlin back to Camelot. He got a bath, which was a great relief. Morgana showed up just as Gaius was making lunch. A part of him rejoiced at her presence while most of him felt that she was a needless distraction. But since he had to hide his task, he decided to play nice.

Morgana ran right over to Merlin and threw her arms around him. She tilted her head upward to give him a firm but tender kiss. _Hmm, maybe I can let myself be distracted_. "Merlin! I am so glad you're safe and sound. I was worried Morgause would capture you."

"Nope, not me. I got captured by the _bandits_ and escaped," he replied.

"Don't do that again, Merlin. My heart cannot take the strain," Gaius said.

"Yes, well, you are getting on a bit," Merlin commented. Gaius and Morgana looked at Merlin in surprise. All three sat down at the table where lunch waited. "What is this?"

"It's a special welcome home. Your favorite," Gaius said.

Merlin took one sip of the soup and gagged, dropping the spoon. "I think that you should stick to cooking up potions, Gaius. This tastes like the bog Arthur found me in."

Gaius chuckled uncertainly. Morgana gasped. "Merlin! That was rude."

"Sorry. I'm just tired I guess," the warlock said.

"How did you escape?" Gaius asked.

"With great skill. Can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course. Anything."

"What is the strongest poison that you possess?" Again Gaius and Morgana looked at Merlin in shock. "I had this great opportunity to lace the bandits' food with poison and nothing to do it with." Merlin got up and walked to the table holding potions.

"Well, that would be aconite," Gaius said hesitantly.

"_Aah_-conite," Merlin repeated. He spotted it on the table and picked up the bottle. "Well, I think I should take some of this with me from now on. You never know when you might need to kill someone." He walked over to Morgana and gave her a long, involved kiss. "I'll see you later, dear." With that, he left the room.

Gaius and Morgana sat there, looking at each other. "Do you find Merlin's behavior curious?" Gaius asked her.

"A bit. I mean, who'd want to carry poison around? But he said he was tired; he's probably not thinking straight," she replied.

"True. He should be fine tomorrow. See if you can get him back here to rest."

"I'll try."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading everyone! :) Next up- bad!Merlin is baaaad. And then he gets worse in Ch. 20.<strong>


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